A total of 42 aquaculture groups in Nyeri County are set to benefit from a Sh8.12 million grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The money is part of Sh124 million which was issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Joho on Tuesday during an event held in Kakamega County. The grant is expected to support the implementation of the Aquaculture Business Development Programs (ABDP) in 14 other counties throughout the country.
Other benefiting counties include Kakamega (Sh18.1 million), Meru (Sh9.67 million), Migori (Sh9 million), Kisii (Sh8.9 million), Homa Bay (Sh8.42 million), Busia (Sh8.4 million), Kiambu(Sh7.92), Kisumu (Sh7.4million), Siaya (Sh7.2 million), Embu and Machakos (Sh6.52 million, each), Tharaka Nithi (Sh6.42 million), Kirinyaga (Sh5.67 million) and Kajiado(Sh5.62million).
In an interview with KNA, Nyeri County ABDP program coordinator Ms Maureen Gathigia said the lion’s share of the grant will go towards supporting 8 youth and women-run Aquaculture Support Enterprises (ASE).
Some Sh3.2 million of the grant will be taken up by 32 Aquaculture Field Schools (AFS) where each school will receive Sh100,000.
The balance of Sh1.32 million will be taken up by two Smallholder Aquaculture Groups and will be used to support value addition and feed formulation technologies in the fish production value chain.
Gathigia termed the release of the grant as a big boost for the county’s fish farming campaign where the County Department of Agriculture and the ABDP have been encouraging Nyeri residents to embrace aquaculture as well as incorporate fish into their diets.
She also said the money will help the farmers adopt farming technologies that will increase production and enhance their access to markets for their produce.
“We are expecting that the grant will facilitate the marketing, feed production, and the training components of the aquaculture programs. The money will also promote the adoption of technologies and innovations by the farmers with a view of reducing the cost of production,” she said.
“In the long run we are also hoping that with this financial support, we will see our youth and women in the Aquaculture Support Enterprises open up more fish eateries in the county,” Gathigia added.
