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Article Title:
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF SUB-COUNTY AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN KENYA; THE CASE OF MOIBEN SUB-COUNTY IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY
| Abstract: Agriculture continues to be the mainstay of Kenya’s socio-economic development as over 80% of its population is engaged in agriculture. According to the Constitution of Kenya 2010, agriculture is a devolved function and every citizen has a right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality. This can only be realized through rapid spatial planning starting from the grassroots. Moiben-Sub-County is one of the six Sub-Counties comprising Uasin Gishu County which is considered as a bread basket of Kenya. The paper examines the performance of agriculture sector under a devolved system, highlighting its opportunities and challenges as well as making proposals and recommendations for sustainable Agriculture development in Moiben-Sub -County. Data was collected through interviews of; 58 sampled farmers, the Sub-County Administrator and the County Ministry of Agriculture, Two Focus Group Discussion were conducted. The land in the Sub-County has been utilized for crop production (30%), livestock production (25%),Settlement (10%),Forestry (5%) and infrastructure (30%).Agriculture is beset by a number of problems including, disease incidences, prolonged drought, diminishing land holdings, poor roads, increased soil acidity, high cost of inputs and poor pricing of agricultural produce. Devolution has had a rejuvenating effect in the agriculture sector in the Sub-County as evidenced by 57 % of the respondents strongly agreeing and agreeing with the statement that devolution has been a success, with 43.1% of the farmers indicating that they had participated in the Sub-County development activities. The farmers have benefitted from subsidized inputs, free training, free soil testing, and road improvement initiatives leading to improved production and opening up of opportunities for marketing. The County Government and other stakeholders should put as priority programmes in such areas as motivation of farmers not to subdivide their farms, provision of infrastructure and agro-support activities on value addition, in their development agenda. |
| Keywords: agriculture development, devolution, sub-county |
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