Busia county government through the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program has continued to empower farmers with skills and expertise to conduct climate smart agriculture as a means of tackling climate change and boosting food security.
This initiative which is aimed at supporting small scale farmers has centered on the development of a 30-acre climate-resilient horticultural park at Benga village in Nambale sub-county whereby a selected number of 120 farmers were each given a quarter of an acre to carry out agriculture.
Farmers received seeds to grow various crops such as capsicum, kales, butter nuts, and others which are directly planted like watermelon.
Speaking to the press, farmers lauded this initiative terming it as a game-changer to many families because it is their main source of income with most of them pocketing an average of Sh 2,000 per week.
“I want to sincerely thank the county government and FLLoCA program for empowering us with smart ways of doing agriculture. I used to depend on my neighbors for food and other necessities but now I grow capsicum and kales which generates roughly Sh2,500 on a weekly basis thus helping me to become independent as well as supporting my family,” said Agnes Anyango, a farmer from Nambale.
Additionally, through this initiative, farmers are also able to produce food crops throughout all the seasons including during harsh climatic conditions such as drought because of the adoption of irrigation-based farming which cushions farmers from losses and their crops from withering.
Some of the challenges faced by farmers is perennial rains often accompanied by hail stones which damage crops resulting in huge losses.
They therefore urged FLLoCA to introduce greenhouses to act as a safety net for delicate crops such as capsicum and kales.
“Busia County is often faced by the challenge of perennial rainfalls and flooding. This poses a big risk to our crops and it will affect our income if not addressed. I urge FLLoCA to consider constructing greenhouses which will protect our crops and our pockets,” said Michael Barasa, a farmer from Nambale.
Busia County has turned into an agricultural hub due to the adoption of climate smart agriculture which has significantly improved the livelihoods of its residents as well as combating the adversities brought forth by climate change.
The initiative is in tandem with the government’s Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) program which aims at stimulating economic growth and livelihoods from the grassroots level.
Busia CECM agriculture Dr. Symplisius Mukok lauded the Benga irrigation scheme project, noting that this community-driven project, is slowly taking shape with immense transformation of locals through smart agripreneurship.
“Being implemented by the local community, the project features key infrastructure including an intake weir, a raised steel water storage tank, and solar-powered systems for irrigation, as well as vegetable drying and cooling. Eight acres are under drip irrigation while 22 acres are under sprinkler irrigation system,” said Dr. Mukok.
“Here farmers will soon be harvesting a variety of vegetables, including African leafy vegetables, which are well-suited to changing climate conditions and offer both nutritional and economic value,” he added.
The locals have hailed the initiative as a model for sustainable, locally led climate adaptation, and is expected to significantly improve livelihoods and food availability in the region.
Source - https://www.kenyanews.go.ke
