Governor Jama urges farmers to join cooperatives

Farmers from Garissa display some of their farm produce

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama has urged farmers to join cooperatives, saying they play a critical role in linking producers to markets, boosting incomes and improving productivity.

He said cooperatives offer farmers an effective platform to overcome challenges that are difficult to address individually.

The county chief spoke in Garissa, when he graced a one-day farmers’ field day at the county headquarters.

Jama said cooperatives enable small-scale farmers to access training, farming inputs, credit facilities and wider markets, which are essential for growth in the agricultural sector.

“I want to underscore the importance of strong collaborations that will help move farmers from farm to market, boost incomes and grow Garissa’s agri-economy,” the governor said.

He revealed his administration has established a fully-fledged cooperatives department and urged farmers to take advantage of the services offered to strengthen their enterprises.

Officials from the cooperatives sector said collective action through cooperatives strengthens farmers’ bargaining power, ensuring better prices for their produce.

Linet Tuwei from the State Department of Social Protection said cooperative membership enhances knowledge sharing on modern farming practices, livestock management and value addition, ultimately improving food security and livelihoods in the region.

“I want to encourage farmers from this part of the country to take cooperatives seriously. Collective action through cooperatives strengthens bargaining power, ensuring farmers get better prices for their produce,” she said.

Garissa Farmers Network chairman Abdullahi Abdi praised the Kuza Jamii Programme, noting it has supported farmers through capacity building and improved access to credit by linking them to markets.

“On behalf of the farmers, I want to assure you that going forward, we will organise ourselves into cooperatives to maximise benefits and improve sustainability in our agricultural activities,” Abdi said.

The event, organised under the Kuza Jamii II Programme, brought together about 3,000 farmers from Garissa Township, Dadaab, Balambala, Lagdera, Fafi and Ijara subcounties. It aimed at strengthening agriculture and livelihoods across the county.

Also present were Garissa Township MP Dekow Barrow and officials from the Kuza Jamii Programme.

Currently, there are about 3,000 group farmers practicing irrigation farming along the river, operating 290 farms across the subcounties of Garissa, Balambala, Bura and Masalani.

Crops grown include watermelon, pawpaw, bananas, mangoes, tomatoes, onions and bitter lemon, with kale and spinach produced on a smaller scale.