Banana Farmers Receive Training on Sustainable Practices

Kisii – In Kisii County, a collaborative effort by the county government, Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), and Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust (MESPT) has led to the training of lead farmers in sustainable banana production practices. The training, held at Kisii Agriculture Training Center (KATC), spanned 12 days and involved farmers from 45 wards and county agricultural officers.

According to Kenya News Agency, Postdoctoral Fellow Systems Agronomist at CABI, bananas are a crucial staple food crop in Kenya, mainly cultivated by smallholder farmers.

Dr. Bitange’s involvement in the program is focused on working with smallholder farmers to improve their management of banana orchards. The aim is to reduce losses due to plant health issues, such as diseases and pests, which significantly impact banana crops. He highlighted that these partnerships are intended to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, information, and best practices in banana production, pest management, crop improvement, and trade facilitation. This collaborative effort includes farmers, agricultural officers, service providers associated with Kisii County cooperatives, sub-county agricultural officers, and other entities like the County Agriculture Sector Steering Committee (CASSCOM) to ensure sustainability.

Elijah Obwori, the county executive for agriculture, stressed the significance of the collaboration with CABI and MESPT in boosting agricultural productivity in the region. He praised the organizations for their role in building the capacity of lead farmers, who will act as key resources within their communities. These lead farmers are expected to disseminate information on effective agricultural practices to other farmers, leveraging the support of existing agricultural structures.

Obwori also emphasized the vital role of service providers and lead farmers in spreading learning technologies and generating employment opportunities for the youth. He pointed out that these individuals provide model farms that showcase good agricultural practices. Currently, Kisii County has approximately 6,350 hectares dedicated to banana crop production, making it the leading producer of cooking banana varieties in Kenya.