Agricultural extension officers in Kitui County have received a major boost after the county government donated 21 motorcycles that will aid in providing timely and efficient agricultural extension services at the grassroots.

Speaking on Saturday while commissioning the motorcycles, Kitui governor Julius Malombe said that the motorbikes will enable the extension officers to conveniently traverse remote parts of the vast county and offer timely services to smallholder farmers in the villages.

“With these motorcycles, our extension officers can now reach the farthest corners of our county swiftly and conveniently. Our aim is to boost production and value addition by providing timely and efficient agricultural extension services to the people where they live,” said the governor.

Malombe noted that the move will help in training and capacity building of farmers on modern farming technologies and good agricultural practices, hence boosting food security.

“These motorbikes will ensure timely delivery of training to farmers on various aspects such as soil management, drought-resistant crops, pest control, and livestock care. The goal is increased yield and improved incomes,” the governor stated, adding that the extension officers will organise regular farmer field schools across the county to empower farmers.

The latest donation of 21 motorbikes brings the total to 100 motorcycles currently distributed across the county's 40 wards. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the county government and the national government under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), which seeks to strengthen agricultural extension and advisory services for our smallholder farmers.

Governor Malombe stated that the agricultural officers will now visit rural communities with greater frequency, saying that the target was to reach 229,000 smallholder farmers with agricultural knowledge and technologies that emphasise on shifting from rain fed agriculture to irrigated agriculture through strengthening Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) initiatives.

He advised farmers to work closely with the extension officers in order to improve their farming techniques, noting that the extension officers will also collect crucial data on emerging agricultural challenges.

Meanwhile, the county executive in charge of agriculture and livestock development, Mbaya Kimwele, has urged local farmers to embrace modern farming techniques and adopt climate-smart agriculture in the wake of unreliable rain-fed agriculture. He advised farmers to focus more on drought-tolerant crops, which give better yields even under depressed rains.