By Boniface Mulu
Kitui County, Kenya: Kitui County government in collaboration with the Biovision Africa Trust launched an agro-ecology project recently launched agroecology project for farmers.
The project is known as Enhancing Food and Nutrition, Market Linkages and Resilient Livelihood for Smallholder Farmers through Agro-ecology. The launching ceremony was held at a Kitui Town hotel and was attended by stakeholders including the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officials.
Kitui County Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister, Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele, was the event’s chief guest. The project focuses on empowering the local women and youths in the agriculture sector by promoting agro-ecological practices to enhance food security and nutrition, strengthen market access, and improve the resilience of the smallholder farmers in the county. It also aims to enhance agroecological farming practices adoption, develop a revolving fund scheme to support farmers, enhance the smallholder farmers to access and control resource capacity, improve access to markets for agricultural products, and strengthen the delivery of project goals and objectives.
In his speech, Minister Kimwele emphasized the importance of involving the youths in agriculture. “The agriculture contributes some 70 percent of the employment opportunities in Kenya,” the minister said. We need to encourage our youths to venture into agriculture to better their lives, he added. Kimwele said: “The Kitui County government is committed to working with the development partners to improve the livelihoods of the county’s people in line with Governor Julius Makau Malombe’s development plan for the county.”
For his part, the Biovision Africa Trust Executive Director, Dr. David Amudavi, lauded the project’s potential to transform agriculture practices in Kitui County. “The initiative is designed to environmentally- friendly and economically viable,” the non-governmental organisation official said. “This project is a significant step towards empowering the smallholder farmers with the knowledge and tools needed to increase productivity and ensure food security,” Amudavi added.
By embracing agro-ecology, we are not only enhancing the yields but also promoting biodiversity and resilience against climate change, the expert added.
