News Categories: Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperative Development

Coffee farmers in Nandi Hills Sub-County are the latest beneficiaries of the Government’s ambitious programme to empower farmers through provision of certified coffee seedlings.

Today, coffee farmers received their batch of 10,000 coffee seedlings commissioned last month by Governor Stephen Sang during Ushirika Day celebrations. Among the sub counties that have received their share of 50,000 commissioned seedlings include Mosop and Tinderet Sub-Counties.

While addressing the farmers at Nandi Hills Sub County, Chief Officer Cooperative Development Dr. Benadatte Tiony said that the county government through her department is keen in supporting cooperative societies since they are vehicles for economic growth.

Agricultural extension officer Mr Togom took the farmers through the procedure in readiness for planting.

The provision of seedlings to coffee farmers is a deliberate move by the County Government through its department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development aimed at promoting the cash crop and economically improving the sector.

Also present during the issuance exercise were Hon. Rael Rotich – MCA Kapsimotwo ward, Hon. Gideon Koech – MCA Nandi Hills ward and Sub County Co-operative Officer Mr. Paul Boen.

#TransformingNandi

Farmers in Nandi County will no longer use back pumps while spraying their livestock to kick out parasites and diseases from their domestic animals.

This is after the County Government of Nandi department of Agriculture & Cooperative Development in the financial year 2018/19 renovated and constructed 60 new cattle dips across the county.

A total of eighteen Community Driven Development Communities (CDDCs) drawn from eight NARIGP participating wards namely Koyo/Ndurio, Tinderet, Songhor/Soba, Kapchorwa, Kapsabet. Lelmokwo/Ngecheck, Kurgung/Surungai and O’lessos have recorded a milestone after they received a whooping Kshs 7.5 million micro development fund from the County Government.

While presenting the first batch cheques to the 18 beneficiary CDDCs, Nandi Governor H.E Stephen Sang challenged the beneficiaries to be good forerunners for the implementation of the project to be emulated with other participating counties as well as make use of natural resources for the common good.

Governor Sang’s administration continues to empower farmers in different value chains for improved productivity and livelihood change through the provision of resources that will increase profitability in the sector.

In view of this, the County Government of Nandi through the department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development in partnership with National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) is financially supporting farmer’s projects through Community Driven Development Committees.

Preparation for disbursement of subsequent batches to the remaining CDDCs are ongoing and will be announced in due course.

Coffee farmers in Songor/Soba & Tinderet wards in Tinderet Sub-County and their counterparts from Chepterwai & Kipkaren wards in Mosop Sub-County are among the first crop of farmers to benefit from the Government’s programme to empower coffee farmers through provision of certified coffee seedlings.

In a bid to boost Farmer’s income and improve on their livelihoods, the County Government of Nandi has embarked on distribution of coffee seedlings. Just last week, farmers in Mosop received 10,000 seedlings and today was turn for Tinderet farmers to receive their share of 10,000 seedlings.

In recent times, coffee has attracted high pay with a lot of demand from the market hence supply from the farmer should increase. In Nandi, coffee is the second most paying cash crop after tea and that is why the government is heavily investing in the crop.

The County Government of Nandi also intends to set up a coffee milling plant in the near future thus the need to increase farmers production of coffee for them to enjoy higher prices and cut on transportation costs when the time comes.

Distribution of coffee seedlings was officially commissioned earlier this month by H.E Governor Stephen Sang during Ushirika Day Celebrations and will continue across the county. This is a move by the County Government of Nandi through the department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development seeking to broaden the source of income of farmers through diversification and cash crop farming.

#TransformingNandi

A total of 30 structures are to be built and commissioned in the next 2 months across the county whereby one structure is to be raised in each ward which will house the milk cooling plants that will be distributed once the structures are complete.

This is after the Department of Agriculture & Cooperative Development on Tuesday officially handed over cooling sites to the contractors for construction work to commence.

National Agricultural & Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) County Project Steering Committee (CPSC) members today met to ratify and approve, among other issues, the disbursement of the 1st batch of Micro- Project grants to Community Driven Development Committee (CDDCs) and funding proposals.

NARIGP project is providing grants to Common Intrest Groups (CiGs) ranging from Ksh 50,000 to Ksh 500,000 to finance micro-projects developed along prioritized value chains namely Dairy, Indigenous Chicken, Irish Potato and Avocado. To date, 64 proposals have been developed out of which 45 groups drawn from 8 participating wards have been approved for funding.

The County Government of Nandi Department of Agriculture & Cooperative Development on Saturday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the 97th International Day of Cooperatives locally known as ‘Ushirika Day’. The day is observed worldwide every first Saturday of July every year to allow cooperators reflect on the achievements of cooperative movements. This year, the celebration was themed ‘Cooperatives For Decent Work’.

During the celebrations held at AIC Kapsabet Bible College, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang commissioned distribution of over 50,000 certified coffee seedlings to be distributed to farmers through different cooperative societies in all the six Sub Counties in Nandi.

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang issuing seedlings to cooperative societies.

While addressing the cooperators, Governor Sang noted that Nandi County has over 70,000 cooperative members with a share capital/deposit of over Sh1.3 billion and turnover of over Sh1.2 billion, majority of whom practice farming, and thus the sector should receive necessary attention and support.

The County boss said that provision of seedlings to coffee farmers was one among many programs by his administration aimed at improving the sector for more economic benefit to the residents of Nandi.

Sang revealed that the Enterprise Fund Policy which will assist Cooperative societies to access affordable credit facilities, through a revolving fund, was at advance stage and soon it will be operational.

“I encourage all savings and credit cooperatives societies to lead in mobilizing resources and to prudently manage them so that in future they will be able to do business with other small cooperative societies who will be in need of affordable financial services.” said Sang.

Youth and women are also encouraged to take the advantage of the revolving fund once it is operational.

On his part, CECM Agriculture and Cooperative Development Dr. Kiplimo Araap Lagat said that his department will continue supporting and strengthening cooperative societies saying that they’re vehicles for rapid economic growth in the County.

CECM Agriculture and Cooperative Development Dr. Kiplimo Araap Lagat addressing Cooperators

“As people centered enterprises & key development actors, Cooperatives have an important role to play in the creation of decent jobs, social and economic empowerment of local communities.” said Dr Lagat.

He also urged the cooperative societies to to put into consideration the principle of good governance for the success and smooth running of cooperative societies.

Chief Officer Cooperative Development Dr. Benerdate Tiony led the County Government in taking stock of the achievements by the societies over the past year, recognize and reward the best performing cooperators to grow the movement to higher levels.

Cooperatives Director Mr. Stalin Koech receiving an award from Governor Sang

Prudent management of the cooperatives and SACCOs will ensure economic growth and I’m turn transform the livelihoods of members.

Ushirika day 2019, which began with an awareness march from Kapsabet town to AIC Bible college, gave an opportunity for cooperators to show how they run successful business while respecting natural environment and resources as a sure way of improving the livelihood of their members.

Farmers and cooperators participated and shown their commitment towards growth & development of cooperative societies.

#TransformingNandi

Coffee farmers in Songor/Soba & Tinderet wards in Tinderet Sub-County and their counterparts from Chepterwai & Kipkaren wards in Mosop Sub-County are among the first crop of farmers to benefit from the Government’s programme to empower coffee farmers through provision of certified coffee seedlings.

In a bid to boost Farmer’s income and improve on their livelihoods, the County Government of Nandi has embarked on distribution of coffee seedlings. Just last week, farmers in Mosop received 10,000 seedlings and today was turn for Tinderet farmers to receive their share of 10,000 seedlings.

Irish and Sweet potatoes are the second most important food crops after maize in the country poised to significantly contribute to the food security component of the government’s big four agenda.

The demand for both Irish and sweet potatoes is increasing countrywide with entrepreneurs venturing in value addition of the same. Increased production, therefore, presents an opportunity for farmers to improve their food security situation and income from the sales of surplus.

Through the National Agricultural Rural Inclusive Growth Project NARIGP, the County Government of Nandi has identified the Irish Potato value chain as one of the key areas of supporting small scale farmers organized in cooperative societies increase their crop production and profitability.

NARIGP project, which is funded by the World Bank and implemented by the county Government of Nandi aims to help smallholder farmers to increase their household revenue and food security through training on good agricultural practices, facilitating access to affordable certified potato seed and creating linkages with formal and non-formal markets for their produce. The project will also fund proposals along those lines.

It is from this that the project has launched the Nandi Irish Potato Stakeholders Platform in the county bringing together actors representing the Producers, Processors, Government, and Financial Institutions.

Speaking during the launch held at the Kapsabet Agricultural Show Ground, CECM Agriculture Dr. Kiplimo Araap Lagat appreciated the tenets of the project saying that it is designed as a farmers based project whereby farmers receive money and implementing through the Community Driven Development Committees (CDDCs). This he said is in sync with the department’s policy to decentralize and devolve funds and functions in all the projects.

Dr. Lagat lauded NARIGP for taking the lead through the Community Driven Development Committees (CDDCs).

The Kapsabet town slaughterhouse has been re-opened after a massive renovation following its closure in September 2016 by the department of public health vide Miscellaneous Application No. 159/2016.

The slaughterhouse facility with a capacity to slaughter 20 to 25 cattle and 25 to 30 sheep and goats a day is fully equipped with a freezer. Meat is now processed in a clean environment, which prevents spoilage and contamination with dirt and infectious agents. Economic losses related to meat processing will be minimized and waste management will reduce environmental contamination. The meat inspection process helps prevent diseases such as tuberculosis that can be transmitted from animals to human beings and also supports the general surveillance and reporting of livestock diseases.

Apart from the slaughter house and its related machineries, the facility also has a feedlot centre and a holding ground.

The slaughterhouse is expected to provide the much needed market for livestock farmers from the region.

Speaking while handing over the facility, Kapsabet Municipality Public Health Officer Linus Kogo explained that the slaughterhouse will create awareness on the importance of ante-mortem inspection to assess the animal’s suitability for slaughter and eventual human consumption and post-mortem inspection to confirm suitability for human consumption.

“It will also enhance the skills and knowledge on solid and liquid waste management to ensure proper disposal of waste in the slaughter facility,” said Linus.

“The abattoir was closed down due to poor working conditions which posed a threat to consumers and this has now been addressed,” he said.

Mr. Kogo urged the butchers association to properly maintain the facility.

“This Slaughterhouse is well constructed and clean and you need to keep it clean and maintain it,” he said.