Provide farmers with maize dryers during El Nino, County urged

Eldoret,

Wednesday, 13 September 2023,

KNA by Kiptanui Cherono

Uasin Gishu County Government has been urged to provide maize farmers with ready drying services to avert massive post-harvest losses in the advent of the anticipated El Nino rains.

The County has also been urged to carefully prepare working programmes on emergencies and submit them to the County Assembly within 21 days.

In a motion tabled by Mois Bridge Ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) Patrick Kimaiyo, and passed by the House, the Assembly observed that the anticipated heavy rains occasioned by El Nino will bring significant challenges including flooding, damaging of roads, and other health hazards, hence the need for the County Government to prepare for any emergency eventualities fully.

“The Meteorology Department predicts a 90% chance of El Nino prevailing during the remaining part of the year, already heavy rains are being experienced in the County beyond normal expectation, the County Government should urgently prepare programmes on emergencies and submit them to the house within 21 days in readiness for the phenomena,” the MCA’s urged.

The House noted that section 112 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 gives the County Government powers to make payments from the emergency fund in the event of unforeseen urgent need, subject to a 2% limit as provided for under section 113 of the Act.

At the same time, the County Assembly also passed another motion tabled by Tembelio Ward MCA Evans Kapkea asking the Agriculture, Agribusiness, Livestock, and Fisheries Department to provide maize drying services to the farmers following heavy rains being experienced currently in the County. 

The County Assembly noted that the 4,317,543 bags of maize expected to be harvested this year from 106,606 hectares of maize plantation, may go to waste due to heavy rains occasioned by EL Nino that are anticipated from October to early 2024.

Heavy post-harvest losses occasioned by heavy rains may be experienced by farmers who may not be able to dry their maize in open fields as is the practice, the Assembly members warned.

Maize farming, they said, forms the economic mainstay of farmers in the County, and unless the County Government provides maize drying services, the farmers will incur heavy losses because of the El Nino rains predicted by the Meteorological Department.

“Farmers in the County have been drying their maize in open fields before transporting it to the National Cereals and Produce Board, NCPB for sale, this may not be possible if El Nino rains persist as predicted by the Kenya Meteorological Department that the rains could prevail during the remaining part of the year, and may extend to early 2024,” the MCA’s say.

Meanwhile, the County Government has put up measures to control losses related to flooding and destruction of property due to anticipated heavy El Nino downpours.

The County Roads, Transport and Public Works County Executive Committee Member, (CECM) Engineer Joseph Lagat, said the County Government has started receiving complaints of challenges of flooding and moved into action to map out areas prone to flooding by also moving County machinery to open blocked drainages in the affected areas.

Engineer Lagat has given out mobile numbers 0710646464 or 0532061185 that residents can use to contact the County for quick interventions in case of any emergencies.

 He asked the residents to also contact Sub-County and Ward Administrators in their respective areas when in need.

He added that the County Government has already started working on drainages as he cautioned parents and schools to be vigilant and not allow children to cross overflowing streams on their own, or move out of schools immediately after heavy rains stop.

Courtesy; KNA