This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
On June 12, 2020, the Agricultural Sector Development Support Program (ASDSP) announced that at least 30 irrigation farm groups in Garissa County would receive over Ksh 6 million in grants each financial year.
According to Dr. Ahmed Hasan, the Garissa county ASDSP coordinator, each group would receive between Ksh 200,000 and Ksh 250,000 annually until the end of the program in 2022.
The funding program was officially opened by Agriculture and Livestock CEC Mohamed Shale at a Garissa hotel, who noted that it was 'timely' given the recent floods, locust invasion, and Covid-19 pandemic that had affected the farmers.
'This support has come at a time when our farmers are faced with a triple tragedy,' Shale said. 'In December last, they lost their crops to the floods. In early January, we had the locust invasion, and now the Covid-19.'
Shale added that the funding would 'go a long way in alleviating the sufferings our farmers have had to endure for this period.' He urged the value chain actors to come up with valid proposals before August for approval.
