Livestock farmers in Garissa urged to embrace crop farming for sustainable livelihoods
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo also urged the livestock farmers to consider crop farming as an alternative.
Livestock farmers in Garissa have been urged to embrace crop farming as an alternative source of livelihood.
Director of the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) Jilo Gababi who delivered the government-subsidized fertilizer to 1,200 out of the 7,500 registered farmers affected by the El Nino rains, said livestock farming was becoming unsustainable due to the threats posed by the harsh climatic conditions in the region.
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He urged the farmers to use the subsidized fertilizer to increase their yields.
This is after a section of farmers decried losses they encountered during the El Nino rains that left most farms along the River Tana submerged.
Gababi said the 7,500 farmers practising irrigated farming in Garissa, who registered using the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System, will be provided with subsidized fertilizers to cushion them against the high cost of production.
He revealed that the subsidized fertilizer will be distributed through a consignment model and agro-dealers whereby even the National Cereals and Produce Board is also a dealer.
Garissa Women Rep Amina Siyat assured the farmers of their support to help them overcome the impact of the El Niño rains.
She emphasized on the need for women to actively participate in farming to increase food production in the region.
"Pastoralism lifestyle is under threat, we need to change the game and practice farming," said Amina.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo also urged the livestock farmers to consider crop farming as an alternative.
"The threat of climate change is imminent and it is time to engage in crop farming along with livestock farming," he noted.
The Garissa Farmers Network Organizing Secretary Abdullahi Haji Abdi who spoke on behalf of the farmers appealed to the government for more support to the local farmers whom he said were yet to recover from the losses caused by the El Nino rains.
"The magnitude of the loss was big, our crops and farm machinery were swept away by floods. Some crops were also destroyed, we appeal for more support," said Abdullahi.
He also pleaded the government to support the farmers in marketing their produce.
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