A three-year-old Murang’a programme has made the county largely food secure and reduced reliance on relief food.
Agriculture executive Albert Mwaniki said through the programme, maize production increased from 200,000 bags per season to 800,000.
The programme that was started in 2016 ensures every small-scale farmer gets 2kg maize seeds every year and. 10kg of fertiliser. They get free pesticides to fight the fall armyworm that invaded farms and destroyed crops.
The seeds are issued during the long rains season. The county government has procured seeds to be given out in April.
Farmers are registered through local administrators, so they can receive the seeds.
“The programme was to ensure farmers produce sufficient foods for their families and stop relying on aid,” the official said.
Initially, the programme concentrated on semi-arid areas of Kambirwa, Kakuzi, Ithanga and Gaturi, where farmers were given dolichos and other drought-resistant grains.
Dolichos, also called turtle beans, are favoured among the Kikuyus. They are known as njahi.
In the past, residents ate wild fruits during the drought. Some died of starvation.
When the programme became successful, it was expanded to include all farmers, Mwaniki said. The county government started giving out hybrid maize seeds.
Mwaniki said everybody consumes one and a half bags of maize every year.
This informed the county's decision to ensure each of the one million residents has a bag every season.
For every pack of seeds issued, Mwaniki said, each of the 250,000 households produces 3.5 bags.
"We encourage them to sell 1.5 bags and store the rest in hermetic bags to ensure they don't go bad," he said.
The county official said Murang'a is largely rural and residents rely mostly on maize.
"The programme ensures farmers produce foods worth Sh4 billion every season, with every bag selling at Sh3,000," he added.
In 2016, the county government gave out high-quality sweet potato vines and nappier grass that can withstand drought.
