Kirinyaga County has partnered with the government of Japan to assist small-scale horticulture farmers with modern farming to increase their income.
Speaking when he made a courtesy call to Mwea, Japan's ambassador to Kenya, Okaniwa Ken revealed that the program will cost Kes 13 billion.
The Ambassador said the program implemented through JICA will train extension workers to empower farmers on quality production and market accessibility.
Further, he revealed that the Japanese government will support various experimental projects in the county, especially in areas with production capacity to double the income for the farmers.
“We are here also to inspect the Mwea Rice irrigation scheme and access the effectiveness of Thiba Dam to feed water to canals in the furthest units of the area.”
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Additionally, he called on the county government to include its programs in the county integrated development plan (CIDP) for effective promotion and implementation of the projects.
He added that the Japanese government will explore horticultural export markets to improve farmers' livelihoods.
“This project was set to be a demonstration in the country, and it is my joy that it has achieved its result. It is my expectation that the Kirinyaga County government will expand the areas using its own funding,” he said.
On his part, Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Kirinyaga County David Githanda , appreciated the support and commitment they have put in to support farmers, and thanked the JICA for the continued support of the live-changing empowerment programs in the county.
“All these programs mean more money to our farmers, and as the country’s government, we support farmers with the necessary resources,” he said.
He added that Thiba Dam has increased rice farming to ten thousand acres in an area that did not have access to water.
