NANYUKI VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Held on 15-16thJune 2021

NANYUKI VOCATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE
NANYUKI, LAIKIPIA COUNTY

Nanyuki Vocational Training

In June 2021, KeAWARD scientists and partners successfully delivered a 2-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on June 15th -16th. Twenty-five (25) county ward agricultural extension officers from three Sub-Counties in Laikipia County at Nanyuki Vocational training Institute, Nanyuki Town. The extension officers, who play an integral role in coaching, supporting, and guiding smallholder farmers were equipped with the knowledge, practical skills, and practices in key agricultural and livestock production areas of:-

1. High-quality feed formulation using locally available feed forages, pastures, crop residues, and commercial concentrates

2. Control and management of invasive plant species such as Opuntia strictaIpomoea purpureaSansevieria trifasciata and Acacia reficiens

3.     Aloe production and processing

4.     Â Brachiaria livestock fodder production

5.     Control of tick vectors and tickborne diseases of livestock.

With the knowledge and skills gained, the pool of trainers will disseminate and deliver capacity-building training to other extensionists and smallholder farmers within the county.

The empowered officers would therefore better engage, train, and build the capacity of smallholder farmers to grow and use pastures, forages and crop residues in their farms to prepare high-quality dairy feeds to increase milk and meat yields; support farmers in control of tick vectors and tick-borne diseases to reduce disease burden and enhance animal production; enhance farmers capacity to control and manage invasive plant species to increase arable lab for improved agricultural and livestock production and support the county in intensifying aloe production and processing to expand economic activities and improve incomes and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the County.

All these activities are focussed on enhancing agricultural and livestock production in the county, the chapter delivered the IVVN African School Outreach Laboratory experiment at St. Loise Girls High School to motivate and spur the girlÂ’s interests in science courses with an objective of promoting and inspiring the next generation of future women scientists in Africa.

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