Farmers in Marsabit County have received agricultural equipment worth Sh70 million.

The move is aimed at promoting farming, fishing and livestock rearing in a bid to improve food security.

At the same time, it is expected that this will help promote agriculture as a business for Marsabit residents.

Governor Ukur Yattani, his deputy Omar Abdi Ali and County Assembly Speaker Mathew Loltome distributed eight tractors with ploughs, harrows and trailers, two motorboats with engines and 33 motorbikes for use in the vast pastoral county.

Mr Yattani and County Agriculture secretary James Dokhe said 20 of the motorbikes were donated by the German International Cooperation for Development (GIZ) under the Food Security and Drought Programme.

MORE TRACTORS

“We bought tractors to ensure early preparation for the next planting season. We will also buy more tractors this financial year. We want to address the issue of food security in our county,” Mr Yattani said in Marsabit Town.

“We are pleased to distribute the equipment today as we prepare for the long rains that start in October. We want to promote the sector through integrated farming, livestock keeping and fisheries,” Dr Dokhe added.

Mr Yattani said his government had also bought seeds especially maize, beans and pigeon peas for distribution to the residents.

“We also want to encourage pasture farming which has not been there before,” Mr Yattani said.

He regretted that the semi-arid Marsabit County had for long been neglected in terms of agriculture and said his government was keen on reversing the situation.

Mr Yattani said growers in the county have in the recent past been switching to Miraa (khat) farming.

“But as a county government we want to encourage more food crops and livestock farming to change the livelihoods of our people,” said the governor.

MOTORBOATS FOR SURVEILLANCE

The motorboats will be used for surveillance in Lake Turkana with one to be based at Loiyangalani and the other in Emereti.

Dr Dokhe said the county government plans to promote farming as a business to improve the local economy.

“We want to tell farmers that if they use mechanised farming they will get what they want as they will be able to clear and plough huge tracts of land,” Dr Dokhe said.

Food crops are mainly grown in Marsabit Central, Gadamoji, Hurri hills and Uran.

The county officials further said efforts were underway to promote food production through irrigation, improvement of access to drought resistant crops, fodder availability during dry spells, livestock disease surveillance and control, and enhancement of water availability and access.