Youths in Elgeyo Marakwet have been called upon to make use of the conducive climate conditions to venture into farming and put more effort into agricultural production so as to improve their living standards.
Noting that Kerio Valley has untapped potential in food production due to fertile soils and adequate water for irrigation, Paul Kaino from Kenya National Federation of Agriculture producers (KENFAP), told the youth to utilize the expertise of technical officers on the ground to overcome challenges facing them in regards to farming.
He said agriculture provides the single most important platform for employment, income generation and food security and can drive poverty reduction through increased productivity value addition and links to other sectors.
Kaino urged the youth to venture into commercial agriculture as it is only attractive when it is competitive, dynamic and profitable and thus told them to be innovative and make use of new technologies to make agriculture lucrative.
Kaino was speaking at a farmers’ convention at Arror where he called for a change in attitude by the youth towards agriculture and make it a commercial venture so as to reap more benefits.
He added that majority of those engaged in agriculture are the elderly who can hardly sustain production or expand it to the tune with the changing economic times and climate conditions.
He urged parents to allocate land to their children so that they can start agricultural ventures instead of looking into other income generation avenues.
He urged farmers to make use of the available irrigation schemes so as to enhance quality and diversity of agricultural produce which will minimize degradation of agricultural farms and rehabilitate the degraded ones.
He added that through the irrigation schemes crop production will improve and household income will be increased.
