- Money was handed to seven groups of 20-30 members.
- It's meant to help groups identify and produce an agricultural product. The project has been running from 2017 and will end in 2022.
Farmers have been urged to adopt practices that will aid environmental conservation, boost production and improve livelihoods.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said with the unpredictable weather patterns, farmers need to plant climate-resilient crops.
He spoke on Monday at the county headquarters during the presentation of cheques for Sh58 million to farming groups under the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Programme.
The programme is funded by the World Bank and it seeks to increase agricultural productivity and build resilience against climate change risks in targeted smallholder farming and pastoral communities.
The money was handed to seven groups of 20 to 30 members. It is meant to help groups identify and produce an agricultural product. The project has been running from 2017 and will end in 2022.
Mandago urged the groups to spend the money wisely. “We will follow up on you to ensure your practice improves production,” he said.
“We will ensure everybody knows that you have financial support and [for] a group that will not work, we shall recover the money."
The governor asked the groups to stay in touch with and learn from each other on the best farming practices. "If you want to succeed, work as a team and share ideas," he said.
"We have an international airport here which provides a huge potential that we need to take advantage of."
Mandago asked farmers to plant trees in at least 10 per cent of their land.
dited by Josephine M. Mayuya