News Categories: Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperative Development

Chicken value chain plays a critical role in income generation and poverty reduction especially among the rural vulnerable members of the community who may be lacking enough land for cultivation or requisite skills to engage in alternative income generating activities. It is also important in ensuring that rural families achieve better food & nutrition security and improved livelihoods in order to achieve the ‘Big Four’ agenda.

As a sign of commitment to revamp the sector, the County Government of Nandi in the just concluded financial year 2018/19 allocated 10 million towards the industry under the now famous “Boresha Jamii na Kuku Initiative” with a view of empowering Women, Youth and Persons Living With Disabilities whereby over 3000 households across all the 30 wards benefited.

To further accelerate the sector, Indigenous Chicken Value Chain Investment Plan is being developed by the department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development through the National Agricultural & Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) in close partnership with a number of key stakeholder in the industry including poultry producers, farmers, processors among other key stakeholders.

The plan is expected to to set out new joint vision across the value chain and expand the industry by increasing capacity at all stages of the value chain from feeds processing, farming poultry, aggregation and processing of poultry products thereby increasing investment, employment and the value of output.

Among the measures proposed in the Indigenous Chicken Value Chain Investment Plan include setting up a chicken feed meal in the county, increasing number of poultry egg incubators, identifying aggregation centers and establishment of chicken slaughter houses at strategic places to help farmers value add their products.

#TransformingNandi

A comprehensive coffee policy that will define clear interventions required for scaling up and streamlining the coffee sector in the country while supporting coffee growers aggregate resources is at an advance stage of formulation.

On Tuesday, the industry actors along the entire value chain in Nandi were given a chance to add their input on the Draft National Coffee Policy being developed by the Coffee Sub-sector Implementation Committee (CSIC) in high consultation with County Governments and other industry players.

In a bid to achieve increased productivity, stimulate value addition and attract good prices for coffee growing farmers in Nandi, the County Government of Nandi through the department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development is supporting coffee cooperative societies through capacity building programmes, provision of seedlings as well as infrastructural support.

On Saturday, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang officially commissioned Kapsaos-Toretmoi Coffee Growers Cooperative Society modern pulping machine at Kapsaos that was donated to them by the County Government under a programme to boost cash crop farming in the County.

Nandi is an Agricultural County with a better part of its population greatly depending on it for their well-being. Therefore, there is a need to introduce more and better strategies of improving the sector. One of these strategies include bringing knowledge and skills closer to the farmers, strengthening research and innovation as well as enhancing professionalism this field. Koitalel Samoei University is looking forward to partnering with the county so as to achieve this.

Today the members of Koitalel Samoei University Council and representatives from the Ministry of Education visited the county to brainstorm on possible areas of collaboration, asses on the suitability and availability of resources for the establishment of Koitalel Samoei University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Science in Kaimosi Agricultural Training Center (ATC).

According to the Principal of Koitalel Samoei University, Prof. Gideon Misoi, the University will have it’s Main Campus is Nandi-Hills and planning to have other branches in the Sub-Counties. He further added that the institution has earmarked Kaimosi ATC as potential campus with the priority of establishing Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Science there.

The team from Koitalel Samoei University led by the University Council Chairman Prof. Risly Ngala together with the County’s Departments of Education and Vocational Training; and that of Agriculture and Co-operative Development held a consultative meeting to discuss on the potentiality of Kaimosi ATC as one of it’s training centers. The team together with Julius Kiboi-, the Principal, Kaimosi ATC toured the center and assessed the training capacity as well as the availability of land and other resources.

The CECM for Education, Research and Vocational Training, Grace Sugut, affirmed that the County Government of Nandi is looking forward to partnering with Koitalel Samoei University so as to bring the training programs closer to the people.

Chief Officer for Agriculture and Co-operative Development
Mr. Wilson Lelei applauded Koitalel Samoei University for identifying the potential of Kaimosi ATC saying that it will open up better opportunities for acquisition of knowledge and skill practice leading to the improvement in Agricultural productivity in the county.

Recognizing the importance of Sustainable Land Management, the County Government of Nandi, through the department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development is implementing the Sustainable Land Management SLM/SFM project in collaboration with KALRO, AGRA & UNEP in order to encourage farmers adopt solutions to combat effects of climate change by stopping encroachment and degradation of natural habitats.

On Thursday, the department organized for SLM Farmer’s Field Day held at Kurgung Micro Catchment area in Kiptangus village, Kurgung/Surungai ward. Addressing farmers during the event, County project coordinator Eng. Japhet Kirwa revealed the project’s objective to increase smallholder productivity through ups-calling of sustainable land management.

The county government of Nandi is in speed to complete all stalled markets in the county as a way of increasing space for the growing small scale traders.

According to the Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, completion of the markets will not only create more space for traders but also increase revenue collection for the county as well as creating employment for hundreds of residents.

Speaking during a visit to the stalled Kobujoi market, the County boss added that the county government is also working to enhance sanitation within the markets by ensuring that the markets have functional toilets and sufficient water supply.

“We are undertaking completion works at the stalled Kobujoi market in order to operationalize it for a conducive business environment and creation of job opportunities through encouraging our people to venture into business,” said the Governor.

“We just don’t want to have markets but we want to have markets that provide a conducive environment for our traders. We will work to ensure that the markets have adequate supply of water and other amenities like toilets,” he added.

The governor said his administration will replicate this in different urban centres across the county.

Nandi County today joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Food Day at Mama Damaris Chemogos farm in Cheptil, Kabisaga Ward. Mama Damaris is a dedicated, hard working and highly spirited farmer trying to utilize every aspect she has at hand to increase food production.

According to UNICEF, 1 in 3 children around the world suffer from a poor diet. Meaning over 200 million children face life-long health problems because they don’t get enough food or are eating food that doesn’t contain enough nutrients. In Nandi,

On this day, the County department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development organized for farmers Field Day and exhibition at Cheptil Cooling Plant promoting sustainable agriculture and production of nutritious organic foods in Nandi County to mark the day.

Speaking during the event, CECM in charge of Agriculture & Cooperative Development Dr. Kiplimo Araap Lagat took this chance to advocate for sustainable organic food production that will increase both Food & Nutrition Security and reduce levels of Malnutrition in Nandi County and Country at large.

The annual celebration of World Food Day is an effort by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), of the United Nations UN, and sister organization World Food Programme (WFP), to help address malnutrition and hunger across the world. This year, it aims to push people everywhere to take action, under the theme: “Our Actions Are Our Future.”

Also present during the celebrations were Mosop Sub-County Administrator Mr. Nehemiah Chumbah, County Director of Agriculture, County director for fisheries, Sub-County Crop Officer among others.

#TransformingNandi

The County Government of Nandi through the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project, NARIGP is set to begin a rigorous sensitization campaign among the residents of Nandi to educate members of public more on the NARIGP programme, especially among the vulnerable members of the society including the youth, women and people living with disabilities (PWDs).

In order to ensure this is achieved, the project took a deliberate action to train talented youths drawn from different parts of the county who will, through their unique talents, mobilize community members to actively participate in the project .

NARIGP is a five year programme seeking to increase agricultural productivity and profitability of targeted rural communities in selected counties in Kenya. Further, the programme is expected to provide immediate and effective response in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency.

While addressing the workshop, Chief Officer in-charge Agriculture Mr. Wilson Lelei noted that youth have an opportunity and potential to explore, nurture and prosper their talents even as they partake the exercise.

The CO observed that many residents were not familiar with the programme and stated that it was the role of these talented youth to act as ambassadors who will move around the 20 participating wards mobilizing communities about NARIGP.

“Through your input, the programme is set to reach and influence the targeted members of the community who may otherwise not be aware of this noble project,” added Lelei.

Nandi County NARIGP Coordinator Mr. Jared Mutai in his introductory remarks stressed on the need to engage the unemployed youth in Agriculture and also on “understanding the bigger picture” as it involves not only farming but fields which can be diversified into Agribusiness.

Mutai stated that mobilization was still a gap and that the training was timely and important as it will guide the participants who will then be tasked to help in mobilization especially for macro and multi community projects thus bridging the gap.

A total of forty youth successfully underwent the participatory theater training organized by NARIGP in collaboration with the County government at Kaimosi Agricultural Training Center ATC. The workshop was well attended by young talented people among them two special needs people, one who is visually impaired and another who is physically challenged to walk.

According to Ms. Caroline Lagat who is in-charge of NARIGP component three, the group of 40 youth will be very resourceful in sensitizing and mobilizing the community using using their art and talent. She revealed that the use of art and talent has proved to be an ideal tool to influence more youth to take up agribusiness.

Susan Njeri, Head of Participatory Education Theatre at NARIGP appreciated the participants for the utmost cooperation throughout the training. Njeri noted that the project intends to use performing arts to make agriculture cool and attract most of them to embrace agriculture

#TransformingNandi