Nakuru is among 32 counties that are set to benefit from a multibillion-shilling, World Bank-funded initiative targeted at boosting agricultural productivity in the country.
The National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), is targeting to reach at least 500,000 farmers with loans, which will be disbursed through the International Development Association (IDA), towards bolstering market participation and value addition.
Under the initiative, Nakuru County will be funded to the tune of Sh28.8 billion, with officials saying the money will go towards promoting various agricultural value chains in a bid to boost food security in the region.
Nakuru County Agriculture Executive Leonard Bor said the project will unlock new opportunities for private sector investment in agricultural value chains through a range of incentives such as subsidies and warehouse receipt financing.
“The initiative is focusing on farmers engaged in poultry, fruits (banana, mango and avocado), vegetables (tomato and potato), coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, apiculture and pyrethrum value chains and is aimed at increasing agricultural productivity in rural areas and to also improve food security,”Mr Bor explained.
“We are working to make the sector a key economic driver by putting efforts in place to increase food security, reduce poverty and offer competitive opportunities for farmers, especially smallholders,”the official added.
The other counties that set to benefit from the programme include Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Tana River, Kakamega, Busia, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Nyandarua, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Murang’a, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Embu and Nyeri.
Others are Nyamira, Vihiga, Bungoma, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, and Narok.
NAVCDP is a community-driven project that is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives. It seeks to increase market participation and value addition for targeted small-scale farmers in 32 counties.
Nakuru, which is regarded as a key food-producing area in the Rift Valley region, is ranked third among counties with high milk production countrywide and has at least 381,600 dairy cattle.
It is also a leading producer of potatoes, carrots, milk, vegetables, pyrethrum among other products. Molo, Subukia, Kuresoi South and North and Njoro are among the agriculturally rich areas in the devolved unit.
The county has about 20,000 farmers growing potatoes on more than 38,000 acres, with a total production of 160,000 tonnes of assorted varieties, with the shangi subtype predominant.
At the same time, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has urged local farmers to join cooperative societies to tap into market opportunities and boost their incomes.
