County, NAVCDP partner to boost agricultural development

Uasin Gishu

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

KNA by Ekuwam Sylvester

The County Government of Uasin Gishu in partnership with the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) County Project Steering Committee on Monday held a meeting to discuss plans for rolling out the farmers' registration programme.

Speaking during the meeting, County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture Edward Sawe, expressed his interest in the farmers' registration programme, noting that it will create numerous opportunities for the county in terms of promoting agricultural development.

“By registering farmers, the county will be able to gather important data about agricultural activities and better understand the needs and challenges faced by farmers in the county,” he said.

He indicated that the meeting with the NAVCDP County Project Steering Committee marks a proactive and strategic approach by the county government in promoting agricultural development.

NAVCDP project coordinator Mr Cosmas Lang'at said that the farmers' registration process will involve the collection of various data points, including the farmer's name, contact information, farm size, and crops grown among others.

He assured farmers that their personal information will be treated with utmost confidentiality and used only to improve and provide targeted support.

The meeting also involved the selection of successful applicants for the position of senior supervisors, supervisors and enumerators who will oversee the registration process.

Chief Officers Elphas Kesio (Agriculture), Nixon Cheplong (Livestock), Elijah Koech (Water) and Ruth Samoei (Cooperative) were present during the meeting to ensure collaboration between different sectors to ensure the successful implementation of the farmers’ registration programme.

Agriculture Chief Officer Mr. Elphas Kesio underscored the need for capturing accurate data about farmers for the county to be able to tailor its agricultural policies and interventions to the specific needs of the farming community.

"The farmers' registration initiative is a crucial step in promoting agricultural development in the county. This will lead to increased productivity, improved access to resources and markets, and overall growth in the agricultural sector," said Kesio.

Others present in the event were, Directors Dr. Philip Biama (Veterinary), Reuben Seroney Agriculture and Abraham Kiptanui (Livestock) and Deputy Director 9Agrilculture) Ismael Asowa.

The National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) is a Community Driven Development Project under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives, that seeks to increase market participation and value addition for targeted small-scale farmers in Kenya who are engaged across 33 counties.

Courtesy ;K. N. A