Uasin gishu rolls out distribution of promotional crops.
Governor Jackson Mandago EGH has called on farmers across the region to embrace diversification even as the county embarks on rolling out promotional crops to farmers.
The objective of the program is to support farmers to diversify into high value commercial crop production and scale down on cultivation of cereals including maize.
Mandago while addressing farmers in Tapsagoi ward, Turbo Sub-County, during distribution of coffee, macadamia and tissue culture banana seedlings said that promotional crops will also add up to the 10% forest cover where the county is encouraging every farmer to plant trees.
Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno said promotional crops such as coffee has high market demand noting that a 50kg bag of coffee trades at $360 (about Ksh 36,000) on international market while macadamia trades at $2 per kg (Ksh 200). An acre accomodates about 70 macadamia trees.
Agriculture County Executive, Samwel Yego, said the program helps farmers to access quality planting seedlings noting that turbo Sub-County will receive 18000 coffee seedlings, 1740 banana tissue culture and 465 grafted Macadamia.
The county government so far has distributed 68,000 grafted avocado, 17000 grafted macadamia, 35,500 tissue culture bananas and 297,000 coffee seedlings to farmers across the county and has established a coffee nursery in Chebororwa ATC, it’s raising 400,000 seedlings to be distributed to farmers.
Present were Ict, Trade and Industrialization Dr. Emily Kogos, Co-operatives and Enterprise Development Esther Mutai, Education,Youth and Social Services Joseph Kurgat, Chief Whip County Assembly David Singo’oei, area MCA Hon. Choge and Chief Officer Livestock Dr. Victoria Tarus.