More than 100 farmers in Homa Bay have received agribusiness enhancement equipment worth Sh13.3 million from the county department of agriculture. The equipment, which included 50 solar pumps, 60 desktops, 20 printers, 200 beehives, and six soil testing kits, will benefit local farmers and farmer cooperatives. The area Deputy Governor, Joseph Magwanga, who is also the County Executive for Agriculture, encouraged the farmers to embrace technology and make good use of the equipment given. He said that with the help of these devices, farmers were now in a better position to double their normal production. ‘Today we have flagged off equipment worth Sh13.3 million. As farmers, you should improve the quantity of your usual production,’ he said. Magwanga revealed that the county registered a total of 45,000 farmers and urged those who have not registered to do so. ‘Homa Bay is currently leading in farmer registration, and I urge the farmers who have not yet registered to reach out to ward agriculture officers for the same,’ he said. The registration automatically makes you a beneficiary of subsidized fertilizer, according to the Deputy Governor. On her part, Governor Gladys Wanga said her aspiration is to make the county the country’s largest agricultural producer and encouraged residents to embrace farming so as to end poverty. However, she noted that the equipment procured was aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity through technology and innovation. ‘We provided farmers with essential equipment such as desktops, printers, beehives, and soil testing kits that will foster innovation and ultimately guarantee food security in the county, which will create surpluses for improved household income,’ she said. The event also saw the release of soil testing results courtesy of a US-AID-funded project dubbed Feed the Future Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems (KCDMS) to provide farmers with accurate and reliable soil nutrient information.

Source:Kenya News Agency