Kilifi, Kilifi County – The County Government of Kilifi is urging residents to utilize the ongoing rainy season for planting fruit trees. This initiative is part of a broader effort to provide food sources while increasing forest cover and contributing to the country’s environmental conservation goals. Teddy Yawa, the County Chief Officer for Crop Development, emphasized the importance of this initiative in supporting President Dr. William Ruto’s national target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 as a climate change mitigation strategy.

According to Kenya News Agency, speaking at the Kilifi Annual Youth in Agribusiness Exhibition held in Tezo ward, Kilifi County boasts significant potential for growing fruit trees. He reported that around 1.7 million cashew nut and mango trees were planted in the county over the past year, with plans to plant an additional 24,000 trees this season. Yawa stressed the need for a shift in tree planting practices, advocating for the cultivation of trees that serve both environmental and nutritional purposes.

Highlighting the economic potential of agribusiness, Yawa encouraged the youth to explore opportunities in this sector instead of focusing on the lack of employment. He pointed out the abundance of raw materials like mangoes, cashew nuts, groundnuts, and fish, which can be utilized to create job opportunities. Yawa’s message was clear: embracing agribusiness can be a solution to unemployment.

During the exhibition, Yawa advised farmers to focus on high-value crops, sharing the success story of a youth group in Milore, Ganze, which has thrived through horticultural activities. The County Government is supporting farmers, particularly the youth, in value addition by providing machinery for processing and packaging farm produce to maximize profits.

Safari Ziro, the County Director of Agriculture, revealed that the county had planted one million cashew nut trees and 700,000 mango trees in the past year. He announced the distribution of 12,000 each of these fruit trees to farmers during the enhanced rains.

Gertrude Bahati, the chairperson of the Kenya National Association of Farmers, commended the county government for organizing the exhibition but expressed concern over the limited participation of youth in agricultural activities. She also called for transparency in the distribution of seeds and fertilizer to boost agriculture in the county, which often faces food shortages.

Lucas Mathole from the Empowering Farmers Association introduced a new fast-maturing and high-yielding cashew nut variety known as polyclonal. This variety, maturing in two and a half years, can produce up to 40 kilograms of cashew nuts per tree, a significant improvement over older varieties.

Crispus Mwaganda, chairman of the Junju Matendo Farmers Community Based Organization, noted the reluctance of many youths to engage in agriculture. He called for increased awareness among young people to encourage their participation in the sector.