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Agriculture

60 Trainees Commence an Agricultural Training Program to Enhance their Employability

The first cohort of 60 trainees has reported at ATC Kwa Kathoka ready to commence a 6-month agricultural training program fully sponsored by the County Government of Makueni in partnership with Anglican Development Services Kenya (ADS- Kenya) and Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT).

The training initiative is geared towards creating economic opportunities and enhancing employability for youth and Women of productive age through green skills and capacity development along the horticulture, dairy and poultry value chains.

The trainees underwent orientation on Wednesday, an exercise which was presided over by Agriculture Executive Committee Member Joyce Mutua and flanked by her Education counterpart Elizabeth Muli. 

Soon, the Makueni Agriculture Training Centre at Kwa Kathoka will be an autonomous entity once the proposed bill is passed by the Assembly. The center will provide specialized and high-quality agricultural education, training, and related services, and will play a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural knowledge and skills among the community, potentially contributing to local agricultural development.

During the orientation exercise, Mutua announced that the school will be officially inaugurated next week on 14th November 2023 by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr alongside other senior officials from the National Government.

27,000 Farmers Benefit from Planting Seeds from Makueni County Government

Over 27,000 farmers from Makueni have benefitted from certified seeds distributed by the County Government of Makueni for planting during the October-December rain season 2023.Beneficiaries were drawn from 11 wards that had prioritized planting seeds during the budgeting process for the 2023/24 financial year.

The Wards include Thange, Ivingoni -Nzambani, Mtito -Andei, Makindu,Nguumo, Kasikeu, Mbitini, Muvau -Kikumini, Kako- Waia, Kalawa and Mbooni.The initiative received a boost from the Kenya Red Cross Society which donated seeds to vulnerable households in Kibwezi –East Sub-county.

The Seed varieties distributed were Green grams, Maize, Beans, Cowpeas and assorted fodder and pasture seeds. With onset of the rains, Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua has called on farmers to plant different seed varieties in order to achieve food security at the household levels.


County Government, Residents Consult on the Makueni Agricultural Training Centre Bill

Hundreds of Makueni residents on Monday thronged to various designated venues across the county for public participation for the Makueni draft Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) Bill.

The purpose of the public participation is to gather input and feedback from residents in order to shape the legal framework for the establishment and operation of the ATC Centre. This ensures that the centre aligns with the needs and aspirations of the local community.

The Centre aims to provide specialized and high-quality agricultural education, training, and related services, and will play a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural knowledge and skills among the community, potentially contributing to local agricultural development.

The two-day exercise organized at the ward level aimed to involve as many community members as possible. This approach helps ensure that a diverse range of perspectives is taken into account.The consultation process is being spearheaded by top county officials led by the County Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua.

PS Kello Lauds Makueni’s Exemplary Farmer Profiling Exercise

Permanent Secretary State Department for Crop Development Kello Harsama has lauded Makueni for its exemplary Farmer profiling exercise.
PS Kello noted that Makueni was among the counties which had made commendable strides in the exercise which is ongoing across the country, aimed at collecting and documenting data on farmers.
 
He praised Makueni on Tuesday when he visited a number of farmers in Utangwa, in a bid to assess the progress of the exercise, noting that similar initiative had aborted in some counties due to malpractice in the recruitment of the agri-prenures.
 
He stated, ” We said we visit the counties that are progressing well in the farmer profiling. Makueni has done very well while in other counties the exercise was stopped due to malpractice in recruiting the enumerators.”
 
The exercise will close on 8th, October 2023  and officials called on farmers to avail as accurate information as possible.
 
The PS was hosted by Makueni Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua and other senior county officials.
 
Mulili thanked the National Government for the support they had rendered to the county government, highlighting successful recruitment of the agri-prenures and dispatching of Sh 4.7 Million worth of cherry fund to Makueni coffee farmers.

A workshop focused on the validation of the Animal Feed Strategy.

Agriculture and Irrigation Chief Officer Daniel Ndolo on Tuesday officially inaugurated a crucial 3-day workshop focused on the validation of the Animal Feed Strategy.
The event, attended by key stakeholders in the agriculture and livestock sectors, marks a significant step towards ensuring sustainable and efficient animal husbandry practices in the county
The workshop, staged at Kusyombunguo is organized by the County  Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the State Department of Livestock and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) aims to validate and refine the Animal Feed Strategy, which is poised to have a substantial impact on the agricultural and livestock industries.
 
In his opening remarks, Ndolo highlighted the importance of optimizing animal feed strategies for the benefit of both farmers and consumers.
 He stated, “Our commitment to modernizing agriculture and ensuring food security begins with the well-being of our livestock. An efficient and sustainable animal feed strategy is the cornerstone of achieving these objectives.Through this workshop, we aim to harness the collective expertise of our key stakeholders to enhance the quality and efficiency of animal feed production.”
Over the course of the 3-day workshop, participants will engage in intensive discussions, presentations, and collaborative sessions to:
 
    Evaluate the existing Animal Feed Strategy and identify areas for improvement.
    Review recent advancements in animal nutrition science and technology.
    Share best practices and success stories from within the industry.
    Develop a roadmap for the implementation and dissemination of the validated Animal Feed Strategy.
 
The workshop has attracted a diverse group of attendees, including farmers, researchers, industry representatives, policymakers, and Non-Governmental Organizations, all of whom play pivotal roles in the Agriculture and livestock industry.

Makueni Coffee Farmers To Receive Sh 4.7 Million Worth of Cherry Fund to Enhance Coffee Production

At least 1000 coffee farmers from Kikima Farmers Cooperative Society are beneficiaries of Sh.4.7 Million worth of cherry Fund to boost coffee production and productivity.
This is one of the areas of collaboration between the county government of Makueni and the New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union(New KPCU) to revamp the coffee sector in Makueni.
During the official launch of the Cherry Fund at Mulima Coffee factory on Thursday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr announced that his administration will make plans to provide fertilizer and other farm inputs for improved coffee production.
Farmers were sensitized on best agriculture practices for maximum coffee profitability, ahead of a benchmark tour to Mukarimu Farm in Meru, the best coffee farmer in Kenya.

Governor Mutula Unveils the Farmer Profiling Exercise in Makueni

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr together with his Deputy Lucy Mulili on Wednesday officially launched the Agricultural Value Chain profiling exercise, Makueni chapter at ATC- Kwakathoka.

The Agricultural Value Chain profiling is an exercise that is being spearheaded by the National Government in collaboration with the County Governments through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) and is seeking to undertake a comprehensive registration of all farmers across the country.

The exercise also seeks to map and register all value chain actors that support farmers such as agro-inputs dealers, aggregators, processors, extension service providers, marketing centers and transporters, among others. This will help the government link farmers to key service providers through digitalized platforms such as e-extension and other e-services.

Makueni has already recruited 504 agri prenures and will embark on the data collection on Friday, and will take 25 days.

Governor Mutula urged the agri preneurs to be keen so as to capture every farmer so that they don’t miss out on important government services.

On her part, Mulili said that the exercise is important for the county government and that the data will be helpful in informed decision making and planning.

Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua asked the young people to take advantage of the profiling activity and borrow some of the best agriculture practices which they can implement to better their lives.

The launch was also graced by Devolution and Transport Executives Japheth Mang’oka and Eng. Sebastian Kyoni respectively, Muvau-Kikumini Member of County Assembly Elizabeth Mutinda, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development Chief Officer Dr. Victoria Kyalo and NAVCDP County Coordinator Paul Musyimi.