Governor Barasa distributes 768 pond liners worth Sh33million to boost fish farming

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa flags off distribution of 768 pond liners worth Sh33million to boost fish farming. [Benard Lusigi,Standard].

Fish farmers in Kakamega have received a boost following the distribution of 768 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pond liners worth Sh33 million at Lutonyi Fish Factory in Lurambi Constituency.

The move is part of an effort by Governor Fernandes Barasa to improve food security in the devolved unit.

The initiative is a collaboration with the International Food for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Aquaculture Business Development Program (ABDP) and will be done in all 12 constituencies.

"As a county, our focus is to ensure that our farmers have food security as one of my agenda items and I am happy that I am flagging off 768 fish liners and this is in collaboration with IFAD and ABDP," said Barasa.

Governor Barasa added that the county is going to cushion fish farmers with the required items to practice and grow aquaculture farming and other farming.

"We are also going to ensure our farmers receive fingerlings, fish feeds, and predator nets so that the support we are giving is not in vain," said Barasa.

The county chief said the pond liners will help keep water from seeping into the soil by forming an impermeable layer between the water and the soil, preventing water loss.

The first consignment will serve Matungu, Mumias West, and Malava constituencies.

Governor Barasa also flagged off 15,000 kg of sunflower seeds across 12 constituencies to some 6,840 farmers who will use the seed on around 5,000 acres of land (3kgs per acre) in a quest to improve food production.

Barasa noted that the project which is a partnership between the County Government of Kakamega and Agriculture Food Authority has an expected harvest of 4000 tons and 1 million litres of oil to be extracted valued at Sh200 million.

“Our farmers will be supported through the County Aggregation and Industrial Park located in Likuyani which is under construction to market their final products because we shall have a ready market for them,” said Barasa.

Fish farmers welcomed the governor's move and urged him to compel the Kakamega Fish Factory to buy fish from local farmers as opposed from farmers living out of the county.

“We need to be empowered as much as the governor is helping on one hand, on the other hand, we want him to compel the factory to give local farmers priority by buying their raw materials which are fish for processing,” said Cyrus Akhonya a fish farmer from Lurambi Constituency.

Last year, Kakamega County secured a deal to export at least 10 tonnes of fish to Italy every week.

It becomes the first devolved unit to land such a lucrative deal out of the 47 counties in Kenya.

The county administration is banking on the Sh120 million Lutonyi fish processing plant.

The facility got clearance to serve as a fish aggression, warehousing, and international fish export center after meeting stipulated European Union standards.

Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ADBP), and the International Fund for Agriculture and Development gave the plant the go-ahead to export fish, rating the facility as one of the best fish factories in Kenya in terms of compliance, and it has met all the standards locally and internationally.

The factory secured a deal to export fish in Dubai, the UK, the Netherlands, and other 27 European countries as its potential market.

The factory is currently processing 15 tonnes of fish per day with the factory having the capacity to process and export 20 tonnes of fish per day with the annual demand for fish projected to be 7,000 tonnes.

The factory has already set up an outlet in Gikomba and that would facilitate their business in the city and outside the country.

At least 6,976 farmers from Kakamega County are to benefit from the venture, and there are about 9,988 fish ponds with the potential to produce over 1,798 tonnes of fish in seven months.

The county is expected to rake in Sh539 million from this initiative. DAS Group and Kakamega County signed a Memorandum of Understanding where the firm was to run the factory.

DAS Group took over the possession of the premises after the county signed a lease agreement on November 3 last year.