Kenya Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has announced that the Government will next year launch an E-Voucher system to enable farmers’ access quality seeds and other inputs instead of giving out fertilizer.
During a field visit to One Acre Fund in Kakamega and Vihiga counties, the CS said the Ministry will work with established Agro Vet dealers and other organizations on the ground such as One Acre Fund for farmers to access the inputs through the E-Voucher system to facilitate them increase their yields and incomes. The CS assured One Acre Fund and other organizations working towards empowering farmers that the Government will continue to provide an enabling environment for the organizations to work with farmers so as to attain food and nutrition security.
The CS accompanied by the CAS Dr. Andrew Tuimor and the Vihiga Governor Dr.Wilber Ottichilo toured the Chavakali National Cereals and Produce Board Depot and attended a demonstration of One Acre Fund farmers training at Malinya sub-county before officially opening One Acre Fund seed and soil labs at its Kakamega Headquarters.
One Acre Fund Global Director for government relations and policy Madame Michelle Kagari informed the CS that currently One Acre Fund has enrolled 400,000 farmers in 22 counties from the initial 40 farmers in Bungoma County in 2006 and will achieve a target of 1.2 million farmers in the next two years.
One Acre Fund is a nonprofit making Non-Government Organization that provides farmers with financing on flexible repayment terms to facilitate farmers access inputs and quality seeds before the onset of rains and also provides extension services on how to use the inputs so as to have maximum yields from their farming activities. The soil and seeds labs that were officially opened by the CS will test seeds and soils and advise farmers on the perfect match of the two for their individual farms.
