Korane issues Sh38m insurance payout to livestock farmers

Garissa Governor Ali Korane has issued cheques worth Sh38 million being payout to vulnerable farmers affected by drought.

Speaking at Garissa Agricultural Training Center (ATC) on Wednesday, Korane said that the money will help at least 2,100 vulnerable household members drawn from all seven sub-counties in Garissa as drought mitigation and recovery measures.

The National Drought and Management Authority (NDMA) has already issued an alert over the deteriorating livestock body condition and milk production.

In its January report, the authority said that storage and water sources are depleting by the day due to the failed October-December rainfall.

“These funds will help our livestock farmers to buy animal feeds and medicine due to the on-going drought that resulted in dwindling pasture and water shortage in various sub-counties,” Korane said.

“We expect that the number of beneficiaries will increase in the subsequent disbursement,” he added.

Korane appealed to the pastoralist community in the county to share the scarce resources, embrace harmony and peaceful co-existence with their neighbours.

The concentration of people and livestock in certain areas have caused conflicts among the pastoral communities competing for limited resources and water.

The governor said his administration prioritized the drilling of boreholes in the financial year 2018/19 in various strategic centres in all seven sub-counties to mitigate drought.

“I want to assure all Garissa residents of my administration commitment to minimizing the adverse impact of the drought on human and livestock,” he noted.

“We have put in place various mitigation measures and drought recovery mechanism together with the national government and our development partner. We are optimistic that the measures will minimize the would be adverse effects of the current drought,” the governor said.

Livestock CEC Mohamed Shale urged livestock farmers to wisely use the funds and for the intended purpose.

Shale said the funding programme has come at the right time and will go a long way in supporting farmers who have been affected by the current drought.