Kitale: The National Government has initiated a major effort to reach its ambitious target of growing 15 billion trees by distributing high-quality coffee and avocado seedlings to farmers in Trans Nzoia County. This initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at combating climate change and restoring degraded lands.

According to Kenya News Agency, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Dr. Deborah Barasa, while overseeing the distribution in Kitale, urged Kenyans to leverage the current heavy rains to help achieve the 15 billion tree cover target by 2032. The program seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded land and aims to increase the country’s tree cover from the current 12 percent to over 30 percent.

Dr. Barasa stated that the program is progressing well and emphasized the role of every Kenyan in reaching the target. She mentioned that if institutions, farmers, households, and government departments actively participate during this planting season, an estimated 533 million trees could be planted by its end.

The government is strategically distributing high-quality coffee and avocado seedlings to farmers, either through cooperatives or individually. Since July 2025, Trans Nzoia County has received 157,250 coffee and 28,570 avocado seedlings from the national government. Dr. Barasa highlighted the positive impacts of this initiative, including income diversification, empowerment of youth and women, and the strengthening of cooperatives.

To enhance farmers’ earnings from local and international markets, the government plans to ensure value addition to coffee and avocado by establishing more processing and packaging factories nationwide. Dr. Barasa encouraged farmers to nurture the seedlings and advised cooperatives to maintain transparency and professionalism to maximize farmers’ returns.

Trans Nzoia Coffee Union Chairman Alfred Musa expressed gratitude towards the government’s support, noting a shift among farmers from maize to cash crops like coffee. He appreciated the provision of free coffee seedlings, pointing out that each seedling costs about Sh50 from private nurseries, making the government’s initiative a significant relief.