By Baraka Simba
The County Government of Uasin Gishu has encouraged farmers to consider high-value crops for improved productivity.
Speaking at The Eldoret National Polytechnic (TENP) during the 2024 Agribusiness Exhibition, County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Edward Sawe, emphasized the importance of food security.
The event, hosted by the East African Grain Council (EAGC), attracted over 800 farmers.
Sawe said that the county is doing everything possible to ensure that farmers shift to high-value crops to improve their income and food security.
“As a county, we are encouraging our farmers to grow high-value crops. We have promoted crops such as coffee. In the last financial year, we distributed close to 4,000 coffee seedlings and 3,000 avocado seedlings across the county,” the CECM said.
The County Committee Member, who was accompanied by TENP Chief Principal Dr. Charles Koech, also noted that the county is expecting higher maize production due to the subsidized fertilizers provided by the National Government.
He further said the county government did its best to ensure farmers received the fertilizers. Sawe mentioned that the exhibition came at an opportune time, offering farmers valuable skills in the proper storage of their produce.
“The exhibition has come at the right time, providing our farmers with the much-needed training to ensure they store their produce in the right places and at the right temperatures,” he said.
He also called on more partners to support initiatives on soil carbon systems and appropriate fertilizer use.
