In a bid to transform agriculture and empower smallholder farmers, Bungoma County has launched a set of forward-thinking policies aimed at making farming a more sustainable and profitable business. The new initiatives, unveiled by the County’s Agriculture Committee and the Department of Agriculture, include an innovative input support program designed to benefit vulnerable farmers and boost agricultural productivity across the region.
The official launch took place at Mabanga, where the Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee in Bungoma County Assembly expressed strong commitment to ensuring these policies positively impact local farmers.
“We are here as a committee, together with the Department of Agriculture and the Executive, to bring policies that will help our people,” said the Chairperson. “These policies are designed to support our farmers, ensuring they can feed their families and communities,” he added.
The new policies are complemented by the Governor’s launch of a subsidized farm input program, which will provide fertilizers and seeds to selected farmers throughout the county. The Chairperson further clarified that this input support program is specifically targeted at the farmers who need it most, emphasizing the importance of transparency and integrity in the distribution process.
“This year, we’ve changed the system,” the Chairperson noted. “Previously, inputs were delivered through suppliers under the procurement process. Now, they are being distributed directly through local cooperatives and cereal boards, with each ward receiving materials for about 500 farmers,” he added.
Residents were urged to report any irregularities in the distribution of farm inputs and to reach out to county offices for information about the new policies, especially if they wish to verify their eligibility for the program.
Eng. Kibunguchi, the County Minister of Agriculture, reinforced the message by stating that agriculture must be treated not just as a means of survival but as a business capable of driving economic growth. He highlighted the county’s efforts to develop two key policies and stated that work is underway to create regulations for their effective implementation.
“We want agriculture in Bungoma to be more than survival; we want it to generate income to educate our children and uplift our economy,” Kibunguchi explained.
He also announced that fertilizers will now be sourced directly from Kitale to bypass delays that had previously occurred with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), ensuring quicker delivery to farmers.
The County leadership has called on all stakeholders—leaders, farmers, and citizens—to collaborate in making these policies a success. They emphasized that the success of the program will depend on active participation, monitoring, and accountability from all parties involved.
“The policies will only work if all of us—leaders, farmers, and citizens—play our part,” Kibunguchi concluded.
With these progressive steps, Bungoma County aims to revitalize agriculture, enhance food security, and provide economic opportunities for its smallholder farmers, ensuring that the region’s agricultural sector thrives sustainably.
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