Government to Compensate Farmers Against loss Due to Flooding

Dec 16, 2023 - 15:38

Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Rono addressing journalists at KALRO, Kandara, Murang'a County during a tree planting exercise on Friday December 15, 2023.

Thika,

Saturday December 18,2023

KNA by Muoki Charles

The government has announced plans to compensate farmers who have lost crops and livestock to the ravaging floods that continue to wreak havoc in the country.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Rono said most of the farmers to be compensated are in the arid and semi-arid areas (ASLs), where they lost over 70 percent of their livelihoods to the rains.

Speaking during a tree planting exercise at KALRO, Kandara Sub County in Murang’a county, the PS said the Ministry is in the process of quantifying the extent of destruction of food crops and livestock to Elnino so that they come up with a budget for the compensation exercise.

He added that they are working with the private sector to be able to get enough funds for the exercise and put the necessary mitigation measures.

" Affected farmers in Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit and Turkana who lost almost 70 percent of crops and livestock to floods will be compensated. We are working with the private sector to help in mitigation," he said.

He encouraged farmers in those areas to consider growing tuber crops that do well during heavy rains to cut on the huge losses.

On the impact of the subsidized fertilizer that the government has distributed to farmers, the PS said they expect to get 44 million bags of maize this year, which might get to 61 million bags if post-harvest losses are minimized.

He added that if the fertilizer distribution is well streamlined and distributed to farmers on time, the country might start producing more than 72 million bags of maize by 2027, enough for export.

He said 5.3 million bags of fertilizer were distributed to more 550,000 farmers last year.

"The impact of the fertilizer subsidy programme has been immense, because it has increased our production from 25 million bags of maize last year to almost 61 million bags this year. We want to streamline distribution and gradually we shall get to 61 million bags in three years’ time, " Rono said.

Courtesy; KNA