Kirinyaga has trained more than 2,000 farmers on high-yielding maize varieties as part of efforts to boost production, strengthen dairy farming and prepare them for the anticipated El Niño rains.
The farmers received training on selecting suitable maize seed varieties for different ecological zones and planting seasons, climate-smart farming practices and available market opportunities to help increase productivity and improve household incomes.
The programme, implemented in partnership with Bayer East Africa Limited, introduced farmers to improved maize varieties including DK777, DK8031, DKC8033, DKC9089 and the newly promoted DK7500, a yellow maize variety recommended for both grain production and silage for dairy cattle.
The training falls under Governor Anne Waiguru's Masomo Mkulima Mashinani programme, an agricultural extension initiative that takes practical training and advisory services directly to farmers.
Agriculture executive John Gachara said the county rolled out the programme after realising many farmers were unable to travel to the Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) Centre in Kamweti, Karumandi ward, for training.
"We introduced Masomo Mkulima Mashinani to ensure farmers receive practical agricultural training closer to their homes," he said during one of the training sessions.
"Through this programme, we are equipping them with the knowledge and technologies they need to increase production and profitability."
He said the Kangai Tomato
Propagation Centre was established as an extension of the Kamweti training
facility to decentralise agricultural training and make extension services more
accessible.
Gachara said the county has deployed 147 extension officers across every sublocation to provide technical support, monitor crop performance and collect field data that helps improve extension services.
He said similar farmer trainings are being conducted on other crop enterprises to enhance agricultural productivity across the county.
Gachara said the county was also monitoring maize performance in different parts of Kirinyaga to identify the best-performing varieties and production practices for various ecological zones, with the findings expected to guide future extension programmes.
Governor Anne Waiguru said the initiative is part of the county's broader Wezesha Kirinyaga programme, which seeks to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by supporting households engaged in multiple agricultural value chains.
"This support is part of the Wezesha Kirinyaga programme, which aims at rewriting the story of the smallholder farmer by supporting households engaged in multiple agricultural value chains to increase production and market their produce," she said.
Waiguru said the county will continue investing in value addition, post-harvest handling and market access to shield farmers from price fluctuations and exploitation by middlemen.
"Our next phase is about sustainability, ensuring every farmer continues to grow their income and every village becomes part of Kirinyaga's agricultural success story," she said.
Bayer East Africa trainer Peter Kibure said the training was designed to help farmers understand the characteristics of different maize varieties and select seeds best suited to prevailing weather conditions and intended use.
He said the newly introduced DK7500 contains about 12 per cent protein, making it suitable for silage production for dairy cattle while also producing quality grain.
The variety also contains beta-carotene and performs well under favourable rainfall conditions.
"The anticipated El Niño rains present a good opportunity for farmers to maximise production by planting maize varieties that are best suited for such conditions," Kibure said.
Beneficiary Christopher Wanjohi said the training had equipped farmers with practical knowledge that would help them improve yields and increase their incomes.
Jane Wambui from Kerugoya ward said county agricultural training programmes had transformed her maize farming since 2022 after she adopted improved seed varieties that produce higher yields.
She said she previously planted low-yielding varieties but had recorded better harvests after following the county's recommendations, expressing confidence that the newly introduced DK7500 would further improve production.
