Welcome to Kenya’s Food Basket
Agricultural sector is the major source of employment for over 80% of the rural population directly while a sizeable number of the county residents are employed in the few smallscale agro-processing industries. The main crops produced in the county are maize, beans, wheat, tea and potatoes. Other crops include coffee and horticultural crops. The total acreage under food crops is 143,807.5 hectares while that under cash crops is 1477.12 hectares. The average farm sizes ranges from 0.60705 hectares for small scale farming to 80.94 hectares for large-scale farming.
Development Constraints /challenges
The key issues underpinning the development of the sector include;
- Declining land productivity,
- Little or no value addition,
- Low producer prices,
- Inadequate extension services,
- Low absorption of modern farming technologies
- Inadequate storage and processing facilities,
- Inadequate markets and marketing infrastructure.
- Expensive agricultural credit,
- Erratic and unpredictable weather conditions,
- High cost of production
- Weak Institutional, Policy and Legal framework for the sector’s development.
Objectives
Trans Nzoia county is promoting competitive agriculture and innovative research and growth of a viable sector.
- To deliver on this mission the county will strive to achieve the following objectives:
- To improve land productivity and land use.
- To improve agricultural value chains
- To improve agribusiness support and market access thus making agriculture a business.
- To promote crop diversification
Sector Strategies
In agriculture the county is implementing the following key strategies;
- Strengthen extension services and farmer training;
- Promotion of access to subsidised fertiliser, certified seeds and affordable farm inputs
- Reduce post harvest losses through provision of grain storage facilities and post harvest management and promote value chains.
- Strengthen the cooperatives to improve farmer’s bargaining power; and improve access to markets
- Enhance diversification in crop.
- Improve surveillance, management and control of diseases and pests.
- Adopt modern technologies and innovation in crop production
Key Interventions in the Sector are:
- Fertilizer cost-reduction investment,
- Maize Milling Plant in Kitale town,
- Crop diversification programme - with Tissue culture Banana,
- Maize driers and grain storage facilities will be installed.
By the end of plan period some of the key expected outputs include;
- Five maize driers established in each of the five sub counties,
- Twenty five maize buying centres,
- Five subsidized fertiliser distribution centre,
- Cold storage facilities in each sub county,
- Grains storage facility in every sub county.
Anticipated Outcomes/Impacts
- Reduced post harvest losses by 50%
- Enhance value addition for agricultural produce
- Increased income to farmers from the sale of crops produce