• 432 farmers in Kakamega County receive Hass avocado and tissue culture banana seedlings under watershed programme tackling soil erosion and water scarcity.
Kakamega Farmers Get Hass Avocado and Tissue Culture Banana Seedlings
Kakamega Farmers Get Hass Avocado and Tissue Culture Banana Seedlings

Kakamega farmers are receiving avocado and banana planting material as part of a 944-hectare watershed management programme focused on soil erosion, water availability and crop diversification.

The programme targets 432 farmers in Nzoia Ward, Kakamega County, who are organised into 12 groups. Women account for 60 per cent of the participants.

Through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, the county government has distributed 2,160 Hass avocado seedlings, 4,320 tissue culture banana seedlings and 8,640 vetiver grass splits.

The approach combines agroforestry with terracing. Vetiver grass is being planted to stabilise terraces and reduce soil erosion, while avocado and banana production is intended to diversify cropping systems.

The average farm size in the area is approximately 2.2 hectares.

According to figures provided by the county, Kakamega loses approximately 10 tons of soil per hectare annually to erosion, with crop yields declining by up to 30 per cent in affected areas.

Water harvesting is another component of the programme. Following training, farmers will be supported in establishing farm ponds measuring approximately 10 by 5 metres, with storage capacity of up to 75,000 litres.

Stored rainwater can be used for irrigation during dry periods and could extend production by up to three months beyond the rainy season.

The intervention particularly targets growers outside the Mumunyonzo Irrigation Project, which serves around 200 farmers in its immediate area.

Farmers are receiving training covering terrace construction, tree planting, water harvesting, soil conservation, crop management and marketing.

Extension visits to all 432 participating farmers are planned over the next two years.

The programme follows a community consultation process in which 78 per cent of surveyed farmers identified soil erosion as their main concern and 65 per cent identified water scarcity.

Only 30 per cent of farmers in the ward were reported to have reliable access to water for dry-season farming, while more than 70 per cent depend on maize as their primary income source.

The county is also developing the Kakamega County Agricultural Sector Extension Policy 2026, covering extension staffing, infrastructure, ICT, irrigation, research linkages and farmer engagement.

 

https://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Kakamega-Farmers-Get-Hass-Avocado-and-Tissue-Culture-Banana-Seedlings-1024x683.jpghttps://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Kakamega-Farmers-Get-Hass-Avocado-and-Tissue-Culture-Banana-Seedlings-150x150.jpgFarmersTrend# Trendingagricultural extension Kenya,agroforestry Kenya,crop diversification Kenya,farm ponds Kenya,hass avocado farming kenya,Kakamega avocado and banana seedlings,Kakamega County agriculture,Kenyan farming news,NAVCDP Kenya,smallholder farmers Kenya,soil erosion control Kenya,tissue culture banana Kenya,vetiver grass planting,water harvesting Kenya,watershed management Kenya432 farmers in Kakamega County receive Hass avocado and tissue culture banana seedlings under watershed programme tackling soil erosion and water scarcity.Kakamega farmers are receiving avocado and banana planting material as part of a 944-hectare watershed management programme focused on soil erosion, water availability and crop diversification. The programme...New Generation Culture in Agriculture