In an attempt to
enhance food security and nutrition, the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) intends to plant 8.5 million mango seedlings in the next five years. The program will help generate a good income for communities in the region, especially now that the authority has established a mango factory in Tot, Elgeyo Marakwet County, to process mango juice. The factory has the capacity to process 100,000 litres of juice annually, this capacity being limited almost exclusively by the quality of mangoes grown by farmers.
Counties that will benefit from the programme are Elgeyo Marakwet, Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu and parts of Nakuru. KVDA Managing Director Sammy Naporos noted that the program will help increase mango production, promote value addition and help in conservation through the greening program. He said that the authority, under the mango value chain and livelihood improvement program, has rolled out a schedule to donate assorted fruit-tree seedlings to farmers living in the Kerio Valley region.
Nation.africa quoted him as saying: “This is in line with the authority’s target of increasing mango production in the region so as to foster sustainable household livelihoods, promote value addition and improve tree cover in the Asal (arid and semi-arid lands) areas.”
“Towards this end, the authority targets to donate and distribute 15,000 mango seedlings to farmers and institutions this financial year (2020/2021) as follows: Elgeyo-Marakwet County (3,000), West Pokot County (3,000), Turkana County (5,000), Baringo County (3,000).”