Homa Bay farmer groups get Sh28.8m grant to boost food production

Deputy Governor Danish Onyango a cheque to farmers in Homa Bay Town. [James Omoro, Standard]

Efforts to address food shortage in Homa Bay got a major boost after more than 5,700 farmer groups received Sh28.8 million grant to expand agricultural production.

The farmers who operate in 40 co-operative societies received the money from the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).  NAVCDP is a joint national government and World Bank initiative in Kenya.

The project aims at enabling farmers to get funds for improving agricultural production. In the programme, the co-operatives will lend farmers the money to enable them to undertake various agricultural activities.

NAVCDP Project Co-ordinator in Homa Bay County Henry Nzinga said the funds are targeting farmers engaging in five agricultural value chains; rice, coffee, banana, cotton and dairy production.

“The farmers’ Saccos will lend their members money to enable them to get capital for doing various agricultural ventures. Our objective is to build the capacity of farmers to participate actively in food production,” Nzinga said.

He said they are also going to start demonstration sites in each ward in the county to equip farmers with knowledge on modern farming methods.

Homa Bay Deputy Governor Danish Onyango presided over distribution of the grant to the farmers through their co-operative societies.

Onyango said the funds will enhance employment creation through increase in crop and livestock production.

The deputy governor was optimistic that increased agricultural productivity will transform the lives of the farmers by enabling them to become job creators.

“This money has been distributed to serve as seed capital. It will enable the farmers to become job creators instead of being job seekers,” Onyango said.

Homa Bay CECMs Joash Aloo (Agriculture), Elijah Munga (Gender), Sarah Malit (Fisheries) and Isaac Ongiri (Governance), said the project will enhance food security in Homa Bay.

Dr Aloo announced that the project will enable farmers to expand crop and livestock farming.

“This project will enhance the socio-economic development of our farmers. This will eventually improve the well-being of Homa Bay people,” Dr Aloo said.

He said that the funds will reduce the economic pressure farmers undergo after borrowing funds from financial institutions which charge huge interest rates.

Eng Munga urged farmers to utilise the funds maximally. He argued that the money will transform lives of Homa Bay residents significantly if it is used utulised effectively.

“Let farmers understand that food production is still low in Homa Bay. Let us make use of this opportunity effectively,” Munga said.

He also urged the farmers to produce food in large quantities for commercial purposes.

“Let us stop producing food for subsistence purposes only. We should now produce food for commercial gain,” Munga added.

Farmers expressed hope that the project will improve their lives.

“Most of us practise agriculture on a small scale due to lack of capital. This project has given us impetus for crop production on a large scale,” Jacob Nyamai, a farmer.

NAVCDP is a national government project implemented in partnership with the Government of Kenya and county governments, alongside funding from the World Bank.