County in deal to reduce cost of production

Farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet County will benefit from cheap farm inputs after the county signed a partnership deal with an agricultural firm.

Under the partnership, One Acre Fund will provide farmers with farm inputs to be paid in instalments.

The inputs, which include planting and top dressing fertiliser and certified maize seeds, will be delivered to the farmers at the market rates to their homes.

Governor Alex Tolgos (pictured) urged farmers to take advantage of the partnership and increase production. “Farmers often delay planting crops due to lack of money to buy farm inputs. High cost of production has been a major challenge to many farmers,” Mr Tolgos said during signing of the partnership agreement.

He said One Acre Fund had been working with the county’s Agriculture department on a pilot basis. “We have now formalised the pact,” he said.

He urged the organisation to extend its services across all the wards in the county, especially along the Kerio Valley where he said most farmers plant without fertiliser.

“Once they start using fertiliser, crop production will double and food security will increase,” he said.