The Micro Enterprises Support programme Trust (MESPT) has announced a Sh1billion agriculture funding for twelve counties in the country. – By Ramadhan Kambi.
Currently Kilifi County is among the counties that have benefited from several agriculture value chains projects focusing on market access and financial linkage from the organization for the past 15 years.
The county is also among the 12 counties that will benefit from the new agriculture funding.
MESPT board chairman Noah Meely said in Malindi that after the exit of the three year project dubbed ‘Green Growth and employment Programme, the organization with the support of Denmark’s Development Cooperation (DANIDA), has been awarded a another agricultural project at a tune of one billion shilling.
“We are coming to an end of the Green Growth and employment programme 2017-2020 which has been supporting mango & Coconut value chains in Kilifi County. But I am also excited to announce that through the continued support from DANIDA, we have been awarded a 5 year programme dubbed ‘Green Jobs in Agriculture with a funding of Sh1billion to be implemented in 12 counties,” said Mr Meely.
He said that Kilifi County was again selected to participate in the Mango, coconut aquaculture, and indigenous poultry through an independent evaluation of counties with potential in agriculture, and validation by the Council of Governors, private sector associations and other development partners.
“Starting 2021, we will be undertaking situational analysis with staff from your county on potential co-operatives and producer groups for onboarding into this new programme which will be targeting women & youth,” he said.
The chairman said that as a development organization, MESPT is focused on making markets work for farmers through market linkage approach to access the domestic, regional and export markets.
“As a result, we will have facilitated job creation and income generation for smallholder farmers and value chain actors. We will continue providing support which is critical for competitiveness of value chains through market development approach,” he added.
