By Elijah Gichunge
Photos: James Mwirigi

Meru County Agriculture Departmemt, in partnership with State Department of Agriculture and Japan International Cooperation Agency, (JICA) held Farmers Field Day at Murera, Igembe Central Subcounty.

The event was aimed to promote horticulture through Small Holder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion Project for Locals and Up-scaling (SHEP- PLUS), implemented by the Kenya's State Department of Agriculture in collaboration with County Government and JICA. The event was also meant to conduct an impact analysis on farming basics trainings, market survey and linkages to business services providers done through the project.

Addressing farmers, the Chief Officer, Dionisia M'eruaki affirmed the Agriculture Department's commitment to enhance farmers training activities in tandem with the Governor's dream to promote agriculture.

Dionisia directed that extension officers be more aggressive in training farmers whom she urged to form groups and take advantage of the trainings offered. However, she emphasized on the need to subsidize agriculture by practising both mixed farming and mixed cropping for maximal outputs

JICA Kenya Chief Representative, Katsutoshi Komori, accompanied by JICA Chief Advisor, Nobuhide Hayashi, noted the program has been successfully implemented in Kenya and other African countries and will continue till 2020. He thanked the county government for providing conducive environment for SHEP- PLUS implementation, a project that has greatly impacted small holder farmers lives.

According to National SHEP PLUS Project Coordinator, Francisca Malenge, SHEP-PLUS extension methodology has been operating in Meru since 2010 supporting 10 different groups in Central Imenti, South Imenti and Igembe Central subcounties.

The event brought together various small holder farmer groups across the County and extension officers from Kilifi, Makueni, Kitui, Kiambu and Meru Counties. Area MCA Japhet Kirimi and Sub county administration team were also present.