Ndaragwa – Over 3,500 residents of Ndaragwa Central Ward in Nyandarua County have received improved maize seeds for planting this rainy season. The initiative, led by Nyandarua County Governor Kiarie Badilisha, aims to revitalize agriculture in the drought-prone area.
According to Kenya News Agency, who spoke during the seed distribution, the focus is on encouraging farmers to adopt diversified farming methods. This strategy is intended to mitigate losses due to extreme weather conditions, particularly in Ndaragwa Sub County, which borders Laikipia and Nyeri counties and is the driest region in Nyandarua.
Residents have faced crop failures for the last three years due to drought, relying on relief food from national and county governments. The governor emphasized the adoption of climate-smart agriculture interventions to foster a sustainable sector and enhance food security. The distributed seeds are fast-maturing, designed to capitalize on the current rains. Plans to extend similar support to other sectors, including poultry farming and other climate-resilient programs, are underway.
Governor Badilisha also announced an allocation of over Sh40 million for development needs in Ndaragwa Central Ward. He reaffirmed his commitment to addressing local development concerns and enhancing residents’ livelihoods, including funding cooperative societies and improving water access through expanded intakes and boreholes.
He requested the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Francis Miring’u, and local Member of County Assembly Mwangi Kagwe, to provide residents with fast-maturing bean seeds. Addressing youth and drug abuse, Governor Badilisha urged young people to engage in farming, promising capital for their initiatives. He emphasized his commitment to supporting rehabilitation programs for alcoholism victims and economically gainful activities for youth groups.
Additional planned programs in the area include livestock feed production, a livestock yard, irrigation projects, and dairy improvement through subsidized artificial insemination services, among other public-oriented interventions.