The County Government of Garissa in partnership with the State Department of Livestock Development will roll out a baseline data survey that will help in the development of the Kenya Livestock Master Plan (KLMP) to implement the livestock policy.
To actualize this exercise, a training of 203 enumerators from all the seven sub-counties has kicked off to help in household data collection which is set to begin next week for a period of 15 days.
The survey will help to get the animal resource base (numbers, productivity and challenges in the sector) for Garissa County and this will enable more accurate planning and interventions to increase productivity in the livestock sector.
Speaking when he opened the training for the enumerators, CECM for Agriculture and Livestock Hassan Abdirizack said the survey will help the county government and its partners align resources better to what is most important, adding that there is a need to help farmers deal with the challenges affecting them as well as address the issue of unemployment.
“We urge farmers across the County to cooperate by answering the questions that will be asked. The information provided by the farmers will be confidential in line with the data protection act 2019,”he said.
Deputy Director for Veterinary Services in the State Department of Livestock, Dr. Jefferson Nthanga said they are keen on ensuring that the policy is evidence based hence the need to collect real time data.
“It is important that we use a guided plan for people who want to invest in the sector starting from the production, marketing, trade and consumption level,” he said.
The baseline data will be collected on 11 value chains (dairy, beef, camels, goats, sheep, poultry, pigs, apiculture (beekeeping), donkeys, rabbits and other nonconventional animals.
