Elgeyo marakwet: The Elgeyo Marakwet county government is set to establish a 6 million seedlings nursery by the end of this year at Chebara Agricultural Training College. The initiative aims to enhance the availability of seedlings for farmers across the county's 20 wards, focusing on avocado, coffee, and tea plants.
According to Kenya News Agency, Edwin Kibor, the County Executive for Agriculture, emphasized the importance of this project, noting a current gap in seedling availability that hampers the county's wealth creation policy centered around cash crop farming. The establishment of the mega nursery at Chebara ATC is intended to address this gap, ensuring farmers can readily access necessary seedlings.
Kibor also highlighted plans to collaborate with the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) to provide mango seedlings to farmers in the Kerio Valley. He encouraged youth and women groups to start their own nurseries, leveraging the county's financial provision for seedling purchases within this fiscal year.
The initiative will see farmers in the highlands growing avocado and tea, those in the escarpment planting coffee, and the highlands cultivating mangoes. Kibor pointed out that agriculture is a strategic approach to combat the county's 50 percent poverty level, empowering residents economically and reducing reliance on bursaries for education expenses.
Additionally, Kibor noted that agroforestry would not only boost the local economy but also contribute to conservation efforts. This approach is aimed at preventing landslides, a frequent hazard in the area during rainy seasons, thereby safeguarding both lives and properties.