NAIROBI: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Tuesday disclosed that it has secured 1 billion shillings ($10 million) to help farmers in Kenya access markets for their produce.
The UN agency disclosed that the funds from the European Union will be used in an ambitious programme that links farmers in rural Kenya to their markets both at home and abroad.
FAO Kenya representative Robert Allport said already his organisation has piloted the project in four counties in the first phase while it will roll out the programme to four other counties in January.
Those counties already covered include Kitui, Makueni, Tharaka Nithi, and Machakos while the next phase will be in Kilifi, Kwale, Laikipia and Meru.
“We have already connected 48,000 farmers in these counties to the market and spent $1.2 million,” he said in a statement issued in Nairobi. “We have signed supply contracts between the farmers and marketing agencies so that they can access the markets,” Allport added.
