Some 59 private farmers have received training on extension services skills at Losengeli in Sabatia, Vihiga county.
The group trained by a private organisation, will help reinforce the deficit of the extension service providers across the county.
This comes after Vihiga farmers decried insufficient agricultural extension officers saying it has contributed to low yields.
The county has less than 30 extension officers putting farmers at risk of not getting enough agricultural services that are being offered for free by the county government.
According to a county agricultural department report, one extension officer is currently serving one ward with a population of over 7,000 farmers.
The group was trained by Agrochemicals Association of Kenya and Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya.
Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya boss Okisegere Ojepat said the county was at risk of getting low market value for their farm produce if the issue of extension officers is not addressed.
"Working with Agrochemicals Association of Kenya, we came to the county and involved farmers and few graduates in the agricultural department who needed refresher courses to undertake crop maintenance," Ojepat said.
The trained group of farmers had been calling for more trained personnel in pesticide application and reduction of the cost of extension officers employed by the county government.
"The officers we have trained will be public educators on the safe and responsible use of pesticides," Ojepat said.
"It's true there is a limited number of officers in the field, currently, we only have one officer in each of our wards," county director of agriculture Reuben Chumba said.
"As farmers, we have experienced losses. We call on the county government to invest more in the provision of the extension services, they can start by employing us who already have the skills," Henry Avikoshe, one of the trained officers, said.
-Edited by SKanyara
