Meru farmers are set to be trained on the use of farm inputs and adoption of high-yielding crop varieties to increase production. The county's department of Agriculture has partnered with stakeholders to roll out the initiative to boost food security.
Agriculture chief officer Dionisia Eruaki urged farmers to use skills imparted by technical officers to ensure crops are protected to maturity for harvesting. Eruaki spoke in the Tigania West subcounty during a training for farmers on how to control the fall armyworm. She said the county government was committed to visiting farmers in their farms to guide them on how to fight pests with the right pesticides.
The officer said they had received reports that some brokers were selling fake pesticides among other farm inputs. She said her department was financially unable to supply farm inputs, including recommended crop varieties. They will partner with the Drought Management Authority to train farmers on drought-resistant crops to reduce food deficiency.
Eruaki urged farmers to increase acreage under the vitamin A fortified varieties of sweet potatoes for commercial purposes. She commended sweet potato farmers while advocating for cassava, cow peas and green grams, saying they do very well in the lower parts of the county.
The officer said the Mutuati area in Igembe North Sub-county has been identified for training on community-managed disaster risk reduction training. The training will help to empower farmers with survival skills to be useful during natural calamities such as inadequate rainfall and flash floods.
Source: the-star.co.ke
