Farmers asked to join cooperatives for better returns

Kapenguria, Wednesday July 5, 2023

KNA by Richard Muhambe

Farmers in West Pokot County have been urged to form cooperatives to reap more benefits from their farming ventures.

Speaking to during the launch of Muino Valley Cooperative for rural farmers in Pokot Central Sub County, Country Manager for E4Impact Organization under Ustahimilivu Projects Ms. Bernadine Mutinda said cooperatives would help farmers get farm inputs like fertilizer and seeds at subsidised costs and sell their products together at good prices.

“We want to bring farmers together for their voices to be heard. Intensive awareness initiatives should be done in rural areas so that more people become members of agricultural cooperatives and ensure sustainable food security,” said Ms. Mutinda.

She explained that cooperatives would address the social protection needs of their members, thereby reducing farmers’ vulnerability, particularly in times of crisis and prevent them from drowning into poverty.

The Country Manager decried that there have been market gaps for farmers in the region but E4Impact has plugged them to build sustainable business models, increase market linkages and financial support to boost the growth of local farmers.

Meanwhile Allois Naitira from Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) said the project also supports increased drought and climate change resilience in West Pokot County.

“With the objective of training farmers to support the start-up and growth of their businesses, EU funded Ustahimilivu programme, NRT, E4Impact is giving support in Enterprise and Value Chain Development,” revealed Naitira.

He pointed out that agricultural cooperatives would help rural people find solutions to common farm issues together with expanding their livelihood options for enhanced food security.

“This has enabled farmers to meet their common economic, social and cultural aspirations through a joint-owned and democratically controlled enterprise,” stated the NRT official.

Reformed warriors in the semi-arid areas of West Pokot County have joined rural farmers in starting agricultural cooperatives through pooling of resources.

The new drive is aimed at improving access to markets, higher returns for their products, strengthened bargaining power for food security and strong economic returns.

Being a pastoralist region, the food security situation has been under threat owing to recurrent drought resulting from climate change.

Members of Muino Valley Cooperative said that they have been trained on new farming techniques under the Ustahimilivu project, a consortium project with funds from the European Union (EU).

“We shall make sure that every registered member plants mangoes and bananas in large quantities. We need more young people to get enrolled because they still have energy to take the cooperative forward,” said a member.

A rallying call was made to the youth to shun vices like banditry and cattle rustling with pastoralists-turned farmers being asked to join cooperatives to facilitate engagement in food processing thus gain more from value-added markets.

Cooperatives have helped farmers the world over attain self-sufficiency because they play a crucial role in attaining food security through the provision of farm inputs, marketing farm produce, facilitating irrigation programmes, value addition, job creation and establishment of Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs).

Courtesy ; K. N. A