Makueni: Farmers in Makueni County have been trained on new technologies for the preservation of food, especially grains, Makueni County Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA) Mr. Samuel Mburu has disclosed. Mr. Mburu said that the farmers who plant green grams, maize, cowpeas, and beans have been trained on the use of pharmaceutical-grade packaging bags and improved drying methods in preservation.
According to Kenya News Agency, these technologies aim to reduce post-harvest losses and improve storage to help farmers preserve the grains longer and ensure they reap maximum profits and avoid exploitation from unscrupulous business people. "In the past, farmers have had a challenge of storing the grains. But now with the training they have got, they will reap maximum profits from their farm produce. This will enable them to avoid exploitation from unscrupulous business people," said Mburu while speaking to KNA in his Wote office.
During the interview, he revealed that the small-scale farmers' representatives usually have business-to-business meetings with exporters to agree on quality and standards required for export. The ADA revealed that the government has sunk dams in some areas to provide the small-scale farmers with water to irrigate their land with a view to increasing crop production, hence ensuring food security in the area.
However, Mburu said that farmers continue to face challenges in the availability of and affordable fertilizer, saying the government is partnering with other stakeholders to develop long-term solutions.