Homa Bay government has urged residents to consider growing their food crops to bolster their confidence in the quality of food they eat.
The devolved unit argued that the adverse effects of climate change have interfered with weather patterns as farmers are forced to deploy various methodologies to grow food crops.
Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga said that growing their food crops will ensure residents eat food with the right nutrients and quality.
Research has shown that there is up to 40 per cent decline in the nutritional contents of fruits and vegetables because of genetic and environmental dilution effects.
Most farming practices especially for commercial purposes focus on high yields resulting from fertilization and irrigation among others which reduce minerals concentration in the crop and affect the quality of food produced.
Some foodstuffs also lose taste and quality when they are handled by many middlemen.
“Growing their own food doesn’t only address the shortage but also builds confidence in the quality of food they eat. Let Homa Bay residents consider farming their food for better nutritional value,” Magwanga said.
Speaking on Tuesday when they marked this year’s World Food Day at Nyakongo training centre in Karachuonyo constituency, Magwanga told youths in the county to embark on agricultural production for their economic empowerment.
Violet Shivutshi and Esther Obidho from the Huairou Commission were also in attendance.
The commission is supporting more than 75 Homa Bay women who are training their colleagues in the community on best farming practices for agricultural production.
More than 246,000 people have registered as farmers as the Department of Agriculture begins to support them to increase food production through their value chain crops.
Some of the crops are rice, cotton, and edible oil crops such as oil palm and groundnuts. The county is also engaging residents in dairy farming.
Magwanga said their extension and other agricultural officers are out to provide advice to farmers.
“Youths must change their attitudes and embark on farming to get money. You must soil your hands for you to earn clean money,” he added.
Shivutshi argued that the society's cultural practices like where women are not supposed to own land affect agricultural production.
She said most women in Nyanza and Western parts of Kenya are not agriculturally productive because they are not allowed to own ancestral lands.
This has also interfered with the rights of women and the girl child in society.
“Most women we’re supporting in farming operate on leased land which is expensive. Let county governments and the state provide land and incorporate women in food production,” Shivutshi said.
Some of the women and other agricultural organizations had the opportunity to showcase their farm produce.
Obidho said women play an integral role in addressing the food crisis since they are the primary caregivers in families and communities.
She asked leaders to advocate for policies that improve food security.
“Women have the power to make a difference in daily lives hence they need support. Such support will ensure every household has at least three meals a day and no one suffers from hunger as per the sustainable development goals,” Obidho said.
