On Friday, 30th August 2024 – The County Government of Kitui, in collaboration with Biovision Africa Trust, today launched an agroecology project dubbed “Enhancing Food and Nutrition, Market Linkages, and Resilient Livelihoods for Smallholder Farmers through Agroecology,” in Kitui town.
The project focuses on empowering women and youth in the agriculture sector by promoting agroecological practices to enhance food security and nutrition, strengthen market access, and improve the resilience of smallholder farmers.
Speaking at the inception workshop, Kitui Executive for Agriculture and Livestock, Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele, emphasized the importance of involving youth in agriculture, noting that agriculture contributes 60-70 percent of employment opportunities in the country.”We need to encourage our youth to venture into agriculture to better their lives,” he stated.
Dr. Kimwele further reiterated the County Government’s commitment to working with development partners to improve the livelihoods of the people of Kitui, in line with Governor Dr. Julius Malombe’s development plan.Biovision Africa Trust Executive Director Dr.David Amudavi expressed optimism about the project’s potential to transform agricultural practices in Kitui saying the initiative is designed to support farmers in adopting sustainable, agroecological farming methods that are environmentally friendly and economically viable.
“This project is a significant step towards empowering smallholder farmers with the knowledge and tools needed to increase productivity and ensure food security. By embracing agroecology, we are not only enhancing yields but also promoting biodiversity and resilience against climate change,” he said.
The project also aims to achieve the following objectives in Kitui County:✅Enhancing the adoption of agroecological farming practices.✅Develop a revolving fund scheme to support farmers.✅ Enhance the capacity of smallholder farmers to access and control resources.-✅Improve access to markets for agricultural products &
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✅Strengthening the delivery of project goals and objectives.The workshop brought together several stakeholders, including NGOs, the Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI), the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and small holder farmers, among others.
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