Key Points
- Nakuru County is regarded as a key food-producing area in the Rift Valley region.
- The County is a leading producer of potatoes, carrots, milk, vegetables and pyrethrum.
Nakuru farmers are set to benefit from a major World Bank-funded initiative aimed at boosting agricultural productivity across 32 counties in Kenya.
The National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), is targeting to reach at least 500,000 farmers with loans, which will be disbursed through the International Development Association (IDA), towards bolstering market participation and value addition.
Nakuru County will receive Sh28.8 billion, which will promote various agricultural value chains to boost food security in the region.
County Agriculture Executive Leonard Bor emphasized that this funding will create new opportunities for private sector investment in agricultural value chains through incentives such as subsidies and warehouse receipt financing.
The initiative focuses on farmers engaged in poultry, fruits (banana, mango, and avocado), vegetables (tomato and potato), coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, apiculture, and pyrethrum value chains. Our goal is to increase agricultural productivity in rural areas and enhance food security
Leonard Bor -Nakuru County Agriculture Executive
Bor added that the project aims to make the agricultural sector a key economic driver by increasing food security, reducing poverty, and providing competitive opportunities for farmers, particularly smallholders.
In addition to Nakuru, other counties set to benefit include Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Tana River, Kakamega, Busia, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Nyandarua, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Murang’a, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Embu, and Nyeri.
NAVCDP is a community-driven project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives, seeking to increase market participation and value addition for targeted small-scale farmers in 32 counties.
This project stands as a beacon of hope for Nakuru and the other participating counties, promising to transform agricultural practices, enhance food security, and uplift the livelihoods of countless farmers.
Read Also: 12 Profitable Agribusiness Ideas in Kenya [2024]
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