Governor Jonathan Bii on Tuesday hosted Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Professor Mithika Linturi, during the launch of mobile maize dryers.

The initiative was supported by the National Government through the County Government and aims to address the challenges faced by maize and wheat farmers during the post-harvest period.

Uasin Gishu has an allocation of 12 driers, each with the capability to efficiently dry 14 tonnes of maize in just two hours.

During the launch, CS Linturi officially commissioned the first batch of eight dryers that will be operational in the region.

Prof. Linturi urged farmers to double the amount of fertilizer they use per acre to increase their crop yields.

” This move is expected to ensure that farmers can produce sufficient food to meet the ever-growing demand in the country,” said Linturi.

The Cabinet Secretary further said that the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) has allocated a substantial amount of money to provide farmers with affordable credit.

“This funding will enable farmers to access the necessary resources and inputs required for modern farming techniques, boosting their productivity and income” added Prof. Linthuri.

The event was marked by the flagging off of eight mobile maize dryers, which will be distributed across the North Rift region to benefit cereal farmers.

On his part, Governor Bii thanked the National Government for the initiative aimed at helping the cereal sector.

He also called upon farmers to consider drying their maize for consumption purposes as well.

“This County is projected to produce 5.3 million bags of maize and 726,000 bags of wheat due to subsidy program for fertilizers,”

“…this represents a significant increase of 15% in maize production and 17% in wheat production compared to the previous season,” said Bii.

According to Governor Bii, farmers have traditionally focused on drying maize solely for selling purposes.

However, he emphasized the importance of consuming dried maize, as it is a nutritious and versatile food source.

With increased access to modern drying technologies and the provision of cheap credit, farmers are poised to enhance their productivity and contribute to the country’s food security goals.

Uasin Gishu Senator, Jackson Mandago, Soy Member of Parliament, David Kiplagat, County Executive for Agriculture, Mr Edward Sawe, Chief Officers, Directors among those present.