Busia county government donates cattle to farmers

Farmers in Busia have a reason to smile after the county government donated 35 dairy cows and 3,000 milk and meat goats across the county to enable them put more food on the table and money in the pocket.

Addressing farmers at Busia Agricultural Training Centre on Friday during a handing over ceremony attended by Deputy Governor Kizito Wangalwa, County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture and Animal Resources Dr Moses Osia said each group in the 35 wards ward received one dairy animal.

“One member of the group will keep the pregnant animal until it delivers. He will keep the calf and hand over the animal to the next member and the cycle continues,” he said.

The project which was started in 2015 with 35 dairy cows given to selected groups in the 35 wards aims increasing milk production in the county from the current 6.5 litres per cow per day to 10 litres  per cow per day.

Dr Osia added that Artificial Insemination is available at reasonable price of not more than Sh1,000 down from  Sh4,000 per insemination.

He said milk and goat meat which were bought by the County Government in partnership with PALWECO have been distributed to groups in Samia and Bunyala.

Deputy Governor Kizito Wangalwa said the era of using hoes to till land is slowly being relegated to the periphery with most farmers now using tractors.  He asked farmers to form groups and purchase tractors to improve agriculture.

“Farmers should not to fear loans because they offer opportunities in the county including Agricultural Development Fund, Co-operative Enterprise Fund, banks and Agricultural Finance Corporation which are now operational in Busia,” he said.

Wangalwa said the County Government   is planning to expand capacity of Co-operatives  to increase milk production in the county to  at least 50litres per day per farmer.