Maize farmers urged to grow bananas and rear rabbits

Maize farmers in Trans Nzoia county have been encouraged to diversify if they are to escape the trap of poverty.

Poor maize prices and market dominance by middlemen are blamed for the fact that 58 per cent of the county’s population live below the poverty line.

The county leadership is now banking on alternative agricultural initiatives to transform the livelihoods of residents.

Governor Patrick Khaemba says because of changing economic trends, the region can no longer rely solely on maize production despite being the country’s grain basket.

“Maize will soon cease being our economic backbone since the government has initiated a maize irrigation project at Galana expected to produce 40 million bags, which will meet the country’s demand. This means we will lack a market for our maize,” he told the Sunday Nation.

The governor said tissue culture banana farming is one of the diversification projects launched with studies showing that 80 per cent of maize farmers in the region with small parcels of land earn more by shifting to banana growing.

“We are encouraging our farmers to embrace alternative crops which have high yields on a small piece of land in comparison to maize,” Mr Khaemba said at the launch in Kitale.

TISSUE CULTURE BANANAS

The county government is partnering with Jomo Kenyatta University of science and Technology (JKUAT) to provide seedlings for the tissue culture bananas.

“We are going to start our own hardening nurseries in time to ensure that this project spreads throughout the county,” he said. The county boss urged farmers to take advantage of the initiative for which his government is seeking a ready market overseas.

“We want our farmers to take advantage of our partnership initiatives with investors from abroad who will give us a ready market for our agricultural produce,” he said.

The county government has also launched a rabbit-rearing programme with more than 1,000 farmers in the region set to receive free rabbits.

“We are meeting the cost of buying the rabbits which will then be given freely to farmers to set the programme rolling,” Livestock Chief Officer Mrs Mary Nzomo said.

The chief officer said the programme will see every farmer who will receive 11 rabbits (1 buck and 10 does) benefit from an already established market.