- He says there is a need for small-scale farmers to continuously improve their agricultural knowledge and skills in the wake of rapid changes in climate and weather patterns.
- The MP said modern farming will reduce rural power and food insecurity by developing their economic potential while improving their natural resource management and resilience to climate change.
Image: FILE
Saku MP Dido Ali Raso has advised farmers to embrace modern farming methods that would enhance food sustainability in the county.
He says there is a need for small-scale farmers to continuously improve their agricultural knowledge and skills in the wake of rapid changes in climate and weather patterns.
The MP said modern farming will reduce rural power and food insecurity by developing their economic potential while improving their natural resource management and resilience to climate change.
He encouraged farmers to engage in agribusiness as it will in the long run help them boost their agricultural livelihoods.
"Modern agricultural technologies would boost the fight against food insecurity and encourage agribusiness," he said
In his two days development tours in the constituency, the mp maintained that by embracing modern farming techniques and adapting to climate change, farmers would be able to ensure food security is attained.
The legislator said farmers will receive free seeds and subsidized fertilizers from the government after learning modern farming techniques from agricultural experts, expressing hope that the area will soon be food sufficient.
He explained that the area of Jaldesa, Dokatu and kubi qalo would produce enough food to feed the whole county due to good soils and availability of water.
He challenged farmers to diversify their farming activities by embracing drought resistance crops which do well under erratic rainfall.
Raso said climate change has made large-scale livestock keeping unreliable hence there is a need to embrace modern practices that will guarantee high yields.
"The old practices that have been used by pastoralists have not been the best and the new modern practices must be embraced to ensure increased production," he said
He emphasized that for livestock keeping to be sustained, farmers would be forced to adapt to change by keeping sizeable numbers of animals that feed less but yields more in terms of quality and quantity.
"Keeping few animals guarantees quality and I encourage our pastoralists to adopt high improved breeds of livestock as it's the only way to sustain the sectors which is the major source of livelihoods," said MP.
While inspecting the ongoing construction of a mega dam at Dogogich in Sagante Jaldesa ward, the MP said the government through Ewaso Ng'iro North Development Authority has been making efforts to put in place management to address the challenges of water in the region.
The multipurpose dam with a capacity of 80,000 cubic meters, he said, would provide water supply to the residents and those in far-flung areas.
He said the goal of the project is to contribute to poverty reduction through improved natural resource conservation and management and provide water for both human and livestock use.
He said the government was striving to offer effective services to the people by prioritizing their needs and putting the scarce resources into proper use.
He is optimistic that the mega-dam project will transform the community's life by enabling farmers to increase agricultural production as well as providing adequate clean water for domestic and agricultural use.
The mp also distributed relief food to vulnerable households in the constituency where 500 households benefitted.
He instructed chiefs and community elders to be fair and give food to the needy.
He condemned the recent killing of eight people including three children in the Kargi areas by the bandits and called on security agencies to ensure criminals are brought to book.
He said cattle rustling has become rampant in the Saku constituency and asked security agencies to patrol the areas in a bid to arrest the criminals.
Deputy county commissioner David Saruni urged farmers to register for subsidized fertilizers, saying the government subsidy fertilizers to make them cheaper for farmers.
He said food production in the county would only scale up by farmers who are actively engaging in farming.
" The government is offering fertilizers at cheaper prices to give farmers the opportunity to plant," he said
He instructed local administrators to ensure all farmers in the county are captured in the ongoing registration for the Kenya subsidy fertilizers programme.
"I urge chiefs, elders and relevant stakeholders to mobilize farmers in order to ensure all farmers have been registered," he said
The administrator asked residents to invest in planting trees to realize sustainable development and fight climate change.
Community elder Halkano Galgallo asked for the reinstatement of police reservists, saying they were the ones who knows the terrain criminals are using.
He said it is their right to be protected by the government and asked for a police post in Jaldesa.