Poultry Farmers in Nakuru County have a reason to smile following a partnership between Heifer International NGO and the County Government of Nakuru to boost them in their farming activities.
Through the Hatching Hope Project that is being implemented in 7 counties, the partnership aims to improve poultry farming and eradicate poverty.
Addressing media in Nakuru during a stakeholders meeting, Heifer International Business Development officer Nathaniel Otieno says the first phase of the project is targeting 7 counties with focus on farmers from rural counties which are Kisumu, Siaya, Homabay and Migori as well as farmers in urban counties which are Eldoret, Nakuru and Nairobi.
“The project is aimed at transforming lives in rural as well as urban areas.Our focus is on 7 counties where we want to see poultry farming boosted through partnership with the specific county governments” he said.
He reiterated the Heifer International’s commitment towards home-grown solutions to local challenges facing poultry farmers in Nakuru and the other counties where the project is being implemented.
Under the Hatching Hope Project, in rural counties it will be implemented through producer organization where enterprises owned by farmers are organized into groups which include focusing on improved indigenous and broilers.
Meanwhile, in urban counties, the Hatching Hope Project will be implemented through a distributor model with focus being on feed manufacturers and distributors to ensure consistent quality production.
“We shall be focusing on two models depending on the counties so that by the end of the project we shall have achieved the objectives” he said.
Patrick Kinyanjui from National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NAGRIP) under the Ministry of Agriculture in Nakuru lauding the Hatching Hope Project which he says will go a long way in addressing the challenges facing farmers.
He cited costly feeds and market as the two major challenges in the poultry sector that they are working with other stakeholders to address.
“We are working to see to it that farmers are able to get cost effective quality feeds for the chicken as well as market” he said.
This even as farmers in Nakuru County urged to venture into poultry farming.
Ms Jane Waititu from the County Directorate of Livestock Production says with the Heifer International partnership then there will be improved access to financial services through banks and SMEs.
“We call on farmers to make good use of this opportunity and as a county government we shall fully support them” she said.