Four groups from Kimilili constituency are elated after receiving grade cows to kick start a dairy farming project that will help them earn a living from the sale of milk.
Presiding over the presentation of the cows at Amtalla stadium in Kimilili, Bungoma County governor Ken Lusaka said the move is aimed at helping residents be self reliant and fight poverty.
He said that the county had spent Ksh. 34 M to buy dairy cows that will be distributed in all the nine constituencies of Bungoma County and urged the beneficiaries to take good care of the cows through proper feeding.
“I initially started distributing cows when I was a permanent secretary and my vision is still to help my people be self reliant from the projects that we are funding in the different sectors” he said
Agriculture Chief officer Peter Mukenya said they are investing heavily in the sector saying it has a potential of transforming people’s lives to the better.
He said they had initially began with providing artificial insemination services to farmers and are now giving out dairy cows.
He also called upon the beneficiaries to ensure they take good care of the dairy animals through proper medical attention and feeding saying the cows have been confirmed to be pregnant and will be calving soon and they will earn profits from milk sell.
However he asked farmers from other constituencies that had not yet benefited to be patient saying the ministry will be taking the cows to them very soon after acquiring them and ensuring they are in good condition.
Bungoma County assembly agriculture committee chairman Andrew Lichuma applauded the executive’s efforts to distribute the animals in the entire constituencies but also called upon them to revive milk coolers that stalled in places like Kimilili so as to help the farmers access market for their milk.
Area Mca David Barasa called upon the executive to increase free fertilizer given to farmers during planting seasons so as to help more people plant maize to ensure there is food security in the county.