A non-governmental organisation has rolled out a programme to supply farm inputs in Kakamega as the planting season starts.
One Acre Fund, serving over 500, 000 farmers in the lake region, has established a network of shops to save farmers from traveling long distances to buy seeds, fertiliser and other farm inputs.
The organisation supplies farmers with the inputs on credit, payable in nine months to support smallholder farmers.
"We started these One Ocre Fund dukas not only to cut delays caused by long distances but also to ensure farmers get quality seeds and fertiliser. Unscrupulous businesspeople have been exploiting farmers by selling them substandard inputs that affect their production," said Winnie Akiso, the fund's communication co- ordinator.
Akiso said the programme is in line with the government's food security pillar of the Big Four Agenda.
She spoke during the launch of a duka at Ingotse in Lurambi subcounty on Friday.
Farmer Grace Esabwa said her production has increased fourfold from four bags per acre to 16 since she joined the Acre Fund programme four years ago.
"One Acre Fund does not only give us inputs on credit but also teaches us on the best crop husbandry practices. We are appealing to the government to stop locusts from spreading further before the onset of the long rains in March," Esabwa said.
Another farmer, Zadock Were, said they were no longer worried about being sold fake seeds during the planting season.
"My family stopped buying food from the market since I joined One Acre Fund. Nowadays I have surplus to sell and buy what I need," he said.
Akiso said the organisation will sensitise farmers about government interventions in fighting the desert locusts to ensure they are well prepared as the season begins.
"The locusts are a new phenomenon just like the fall army warms were when they came but timely information on how to fight them helped reduce damage to crops until it's no longer a threat to farmers," she said.
One Acre Fund also lunched a laboratory last year to offer soil testing services to farmers so they can apply the right inputs. The laboratory was launched by former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri.
