Kerio Valley: Farmers in Kerio Valley have received a major boost in their agricultural activities with the completion of the Arror and Kabulwo multi-purpose cereal stores. The two facilities, each with a storage capacity of 3,000 bags, are now fully operational and set to serve the community.
According to Kenya News Agency, Ben Kibor, the Coordinator of the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP), stated that the stores were primarily designed as aggregation centers for sorghum, a popular cash crop in the region. He further explained that the facilities would also serve a broader role in supporting general agricultural activities.
‘These impressive community projects are now multipurpose in nature and will also function as fertilizer storage centres,’ said Mr. Kibor. The construction of the stores was funded through the Emergency Locust Response Programme (ELRP), which is part of the County Government’s Department of Agriculture. The initiative aims to boost food security and resilience in the region by providing farmers with modern and secure food storage facilities.
Kibor further stated that the management of the facilities would eventually be handed over to the community and placed under cooperative societies for sustainable management. ‘The community will eventually take charge of these facilities through their cooperatives to ensure efficiency and continuity in their operations,’ he added.
Local farmers and agricultural stakeholders have welcomed the project, expressing optimism that it will help reduce post-harvest losses and provide a reliable storage solution for their farm produce. The availability of a secure storage facility is expected to improve market access for sorghum farmers, enhance their earnings, and boost economic activities in the region.
‘This is a huge relief for us,’ said Samuel Kiptoo, a sorghum farmer in Arror. ‘We no longer have to worry about where to store our harvest, and having fertilizer storage close by will make farming more convenient.’ Local agriculture officials have encouraged farmers to take full advantage of the new facilities, emphasizing the role of modern food handling and storage methods in ensuring food security and boosting income generation.