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Agriculture

Makueni to Roll out Countywide Mass Livestock Vaccination program

The County Government of Makueni through the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development is set to roll out a mass vaccination program in March, targeting at least 200,000 livestock across the county.
The livestock diseases targeted for vaccination include foot and mouth disease, Lumpy skin disease in cattle while sheep and goats will be vaccinated for contagious pneumonia and goat plague
Currently, the department has prioritized vaccination of dairy cows due to their vulnerability ahead of the mass vaccination.
According to Agriculture CEC Joyce Mutua, the exercise is being implemented in partnership with Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society Limited and aims at increasing household incomes of dairy farmers in Makueni through reduction of livestock disease outbreaks.
The Cooperative is facilitating the aggregation of animals at a central point for vaccination as well link the vaccinators to farmers who prefer vaccination of the animals in their own crushes and homes.
On its part, the county government is conducting farmer sensitization on livestock disease control and other veterinary matters, and coordinating the procurement, collection, storage and delivery of livestock vaccines
Mutua, however, adds that the services will be accessed at a subsidized fee of Sh. 50. Per animal.

500 households benefit from emergency livestock feeds

At least 500 selected households from Kilome Sub-County will benefit from emergency livestock feeds program, courtesy of a partnership between the County Government of Makueni and the European Union (EU) through the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).

The feeds will address the crisis of reduced quantity of pasture and fodder for livestock due to the little rainfall experienced in the area during the October-December rain season.

The distribution exercise was launched yesterday (Thursday) by Agriculture CEC Joyce Mutua and officials from NDMA in Kiima-kiu/Kalanzoni ward, and is ongoing in various locations within the sub-county.

Previously, the department of agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives Development has implemented various contingency activities in the livestock sector. Some of them are treatment and deworming of animals, vaccination of goats against Contagious Caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP 3), one of the most severe diseases of goats, and capacity building of officers on Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards.

Makueni County Farmer Seed Multiplication Program

Ms Joyce Mutua , CECM Agriculture, irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development joined members of Ngamiteka CBO in Kibwezi West, Nguumo ward for the 1st  inspection of green gram community seed production.The certified green gram seed requirement for Makueni county stand at 903,352 kg against a supply of 361,340.8kg, by among others KALRO Katumani, Simlaw seeds ltd and dryland seeds. The low access to certified seeds causes farmers to plant own seed (uncertified) totaling to 542,011.2kg P.A hence poor production and increased grain market deficits.

To address the gap, ASDSP II funded an innovation proposal by Ngamiteka CBO to produce green gram community seed.  Makueni County with support from ASDSP II program partnered with Egerton University to provide technical support to Ngamiteka CBO to produce KS20 green gram seed variety. A total of 50 farmers each with 5 acres (a total 250acres) were identified in 16 ward and were supported with ripping services, training on seed production, provided with basic seeds, fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, jute bags and inspection services.  Seed inspector from Egerton University visiting Ngamiteka CBO members for the 1st inspection of crop establishment. The 2nd inspection scheduled at mid-January 2023, followed by harvesting and storage of planting seeds in jute bags. The farmers are expected to produce 100 metric tons of KS20 green gram seed variety by February 2023.

 

Dr. Tuiyot, Seed Inspector conducting 1st crop inspection

Distribution of Pesticides to counter African Army worm outbreak

The CECM Agriculture, irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development Ms Joyce Mutua led a team of extension officers in fighting the African army worm in Kaiti and Kilome sub counties.The African Army Worm (AAW) Spodoptera exempta is the larva of a  migratory night flying moth hich is a pests of cereal crops and pastures. The economic importance of this pest is due to its rapid development, high reproductive capacity, and migration mobility.  Outbreaks are commonly preceded by extended drought and follow the onset of wet seasons when dry grasslands produce new growth and cereal crops are planted.The first incident of AAW outbreak was reported in Makueni County in Ivingoni Nzambani andMasongaleni wards in Kibwezi East Sub-County by end of November, 2022.  By mid-December 2022, the outbreak had spread in all sub counties. Following the outbreak, the county government in partnership with the National government, moved quickly to combat the pest and avert further damage to crops. A total of 650 litres of assorted chemicals, sprayers and Personal Protective Equipment have been issued to farmers in control the infestation and sensitize to farmers on mitigation measures. The support was distributed to the sub counties based the levels of infestation reported.

 

Joyce Mutua, ECM Agricuture led county extnsion officers in some parst of Kaiti and Kilome subcounties to provide technical support and supply farmers with pestcides in a move to contain the pest.

 

Building Development Partnerships

On Monday, Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili hosted a high powered delegation from Micro-Enterprise Support Programme (MESPT) led by Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Amukhoye who paid the DG a courtesy call in Wote.
Discussions centered on enhancing partnerships between Makueni and MESPT in several Agricultural value chains and enhancing food safety competitiveness of the county.
Some of the key partnership areas include:
Support to agriculture policy development; support to establish a veterinary and food safety mini laboratory; Development of the Agricultural Training Centre-Kwakathoka as an Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education Training (ATVET) Facility.
MESPT supports Green Employment in Agriculture and AgriFI Food Safety programmes in Makueni.

1,000 Makueni farmers benefit from coffee seedlings

Over 1,000 farmers from Mbooni Sub-County have benefitted from coffee seedlings in a move to boost coffee farming in the area.
The county gave the Batian composite variety, the best coffee variety which is a mixture of different pure lines for that region.
The seedlings, a donation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock was flagged off by Agriculture Executive Joyce Mutua on Thursday at Nzaini Coffee factory.
She was accompanied by Executives Dr. Sonia Nzilani (Lands and Environment), Nicholas Masila Nzioka (Gender) and Mbooni MCA Hon. Alexander Mulemba, who took part in the distribution exercise across various coffee factories in the locality.
“This Batian we are giving to farmers is an improved variety and is tolerant to Coffee Berry Disease, leaf rust and has high production,” said Mutua
Hon. Mulemba called on the farmers to take advantage of the public participation forums during the budget making processes so as to allocate enough funds for coffee production.
They also took part in planting coffee seedlings within the compounds of some of the 7 coffee factories in Mbooni.
 

Seed distribution exercise

At Chief’s Camp, Kibwezi town in Kikukmbulyu South ward, Kibwezi East Sub-County, elated farmers receive planting seeds donated by the County Government.

Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Development Executive Committee Member Ms. Joyce M. Mutua who oversaw the distribution exercise asked the farmers to embrace good agricultural practices including soil conservation during planting and weeding to enhance the productivity of the farming land in Makueni County.

At least 130,000 households will benefit from certified planting seeds. The seeds consist of 149 metric tonnes of maize, 40 tonnes of beans, 127 tonnes of sorghum and 85 tonnes of green grams. The exercise was contacted across the 30 wards. Wards in upper and mid-zones received Maize and beans while ward in the low land areas received Sorghum and green grams. Residents were urged to take advantage of the county donated climate-resilient seeds for sustainable agriculture.

 

Makueni residents challenged to turn to silkworm farming as demand increases

Makueni Deputy Governor H.E Lucy Mulili has praised a group of women from Kiatine, Wote/Nziu ward, Makueni Sub-County for taking the challenge in silkworm farming which is taking shape in the County.

The Deputy Governor spoke on Saturday when she toured Tosheka Textiles’ Kiatine silkworm cages.

Lucy Lau Bigham, the entrepreneur behind Tosheka Textiles called on the Makueni government to support extension and training services for silkworm farming.

The venture, according to Lau is a sustainable community-empowering textile initiative that bridges the economic gap for women.

Lau observed that Eri silkworms attract a competitive sale price of about Sh. 200 per kilogram.The worms majorly feed on caster beans with farmers at the outskirts of Wote town embracing farming of castor plants in plenty.

Through several degumming processes, silk produces fibre which through spinning is converted into a yarn hence making of clothes.

Makueni to distribute Sh 120M Planting Seeds to Farmers

Makueni County Government will distribute certified planting seeds and relief food worth Sh 120M to its residents, H.E Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr has said.

He spoke at Kathonzweni on Thursday while flagging off emergency relief food together with County Commissioner Beverly Opwora and Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili.

Governor Mutula Jnr also noted that his administration is in the process of purchasing more relief food through its emergency kitty to supplement efforts by the national government to alleviate hunger.