Farmers urged to diversify, embrace fruit, vegetable production to boost income
By Kepher Otieno, March 6, 2024Kisumu County Woman Rep Ruth Odinga (pictured) wants farmers to diversify into aggressive fruits and vegetable production to boost income, household food and nutritional security.
She observed that fruit and vegetable production, if well exploited, can contribute to household food security as they provide direct access to food that can be harvested, cooked, and served to family members daily.
“If we increase vegetable and fruits farming, we will create economic opportunities for smallholder farmers,” Ruth said as her office donated several solar water pumps and tanks to women groups in Kisumu East Constituency.
The pumps were handed over to Kaskas women groups in Kisumu East by the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) acting coordinator Kisumu, Timothy Nyandusi.
Nyandusi was flanked by the woman Rep office Manager Sam Olweru, his assistant Maurice Onono and NGAAF chairperson Madam Jackquline India. The donations come barely a week, after the office launched various countywide community economic empowerment projects with an allocation of Sh30 million.
Ruth emphasized that to grow the rural economy, farmers should choose to incorporate vegetables and fruits farming into existing cropping systems.
Currently, fruits such as passion and vegetable crops generate more income for farmers compared to traditional staple crops such as Maize, but are often ignored, despite high demand in markets.
Studies show that farmers engaged in production of fruits and vegetables often earn higher net farm incomes than farmers engaged in production of cereal crops alone. Programmes promoting production and consumption of fruits and vegetables, Ruth claimed, still need leaders’ special attention hence their inclusion in her strategic development plan for the 2023-2027 period.
Nyandusi and India said the beneficiaries had requested for the solar water pumps to help them harvest rain water and also to supply clean water to the community. Speaking at Chiga village, Nyandusi said the government was keen on financing community empowerment projects.
He told the residents to submit proposals to the woman rep office for consideration of possible financing on a project of their choice.
“We are working closely with the Woman Rep staff, to identify, review, approve and finance projects viable to the select communities organized groups,” Nyandusi said.
Olweru told the media that 37 women groups will get at least one solar water pump. The solar water pumps according to Nyandusi cost Sh100,000. India urged the residents to develop orchards and to grow more indigenous fruits.
“Take for instance, a bunch of passion fruits, which is only about four fruits a piece, selling at Sh100. So, imagine if you only grew it and sold ten, how much will you earn,” she posed. The NGAAF officials noted that there are so many ways that the residents can grow their income per capita.
They promised to support serious groups. Currently, Ruth’s office is carrying out civic education on financial literacy. Those who have been trained are given between Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 to grow their businesses. –