Taita Taveta County leadership has issued a strong call to livestock farmers to register with ward-based cooperatives, positioning these organizations as the primary gateway to accessing critical veterinary services and agricultural support under the newly launched National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project.
Speaking during the launch of the National E-Voucher Vaccination program at Manoa, Mwatate Subcounty, Governor Andrew Mwadime emphasized that cooperatives are not merely registration bodies but essential vehicles for delivering a comprehensive range of services including vaccination, training, inputs, marketing, and credit access.
“I urge all farmers to register with your ward-based cooperatives. These cooperatives are our key vehicles for delivering not just vaccination but a whole range of services,” Governor Mwadime said, adding that working in groups makes it easier to provide support compared to farmers operating in silos.
The governor’s sentiments were echoed by Dawson Katuu, County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock and Blue Economy, who revealed that the county has been grappling with low cooperative membership despite their critical role in the agricultural sector. To address this challenge, Katuu said that the county has enacted laws to strengthen the cooperative movement.
“We have had a challenge with farmers urging them to register in cooperatives. The county had put in place laws about cooperatives so that the movement can be strong,” Katuu stated.
The cooperative push comes as the county targets over 50,000 farmers and more than 80,000 livestock under the vaccination program, which is implemented through a partnership between the county government and the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), targeting diseases that have significantly impacted livestock farmers in the region.
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According to county records, there are 53,000 farmers engaged in both crop and livestock farming, with a total of 39,740 cattle, 87,248 goats, and 12,488 sheep registered during the database compilation.
A number of cooperatives have been selected to spearhead the first round of the vaccination campaign including the Tagho Dairy FCS, Mwafugha Dairy FCS, Diwadane FCS, Rong’e FCS, and Taita Taveta Banana FCS, working alongside private veterinary practitioners. Tango Dairy FCS, Mwafuga Dairy FCS, Rong’e FCS, and Taveta Banana FCS. These organizations demonstrated good governance and leadership, positioning them as models for service delivery in the agricultural sector.
The vaccination exercise addresses a critical need in the county, which has been suffering from devastating disease outbreaks. Most recently, lumpy skin disease affected over 5,000 animals, causing livestock deaths, threatening market access, and reducing farmer incomes significantly.
Nyambu Mwadime, a local farmer, highlighted a grim picture of the impact of disease outbreaks stating, “There have been a lot of loss due to disease outbreaks to our livestock, especially the diseases that affect lungs of the animals. That led to death of our livestock which in turn made us sell our remaining animals at throwaway prices,” he lamented.
Stephen Mkala, Chair of Agriculture, Livestock and Blue Economy Committee in the county assembly, noted that many farmers previously lacked the capacity to vaccinate their livestock privately due to high-priced costs. He stated that with the subsidized vaccination program, most farmers are set to benefit.
“This will enable farmers to keep more livestock so that they can participate in animal business,” he said.
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The subsidized vaccination program offers unprecedented affordability. Through the E-voucher system, farmers will pay only Ksh 50 per cow and Ksh 3 per goat or sheep, with the government covering Ksh 110 for cattle and Ksh 30 for small ruminants.
The animals will be vaccinated against foot and mouth disease for cattle and PPR for goats and sheep.
Mabishi Joseph, the area MCA, expressed optimism about the timing of the program noting, “We are happy that this project has been brought at the right time just as the rains are about to start because most of the times when the rains start, it’s when we get diseases such as foot and mouth and other diseases that affect the lungs of animals.”
Beyond disease prevention, the vaccination program holds promise for market access. Dr. Jeremiah Ngugi, Director General in the Livestock Health Department in the county, emphasized that vaccination is crucial for maintaining export markets.
“Most countries that take products from our county want to ensure that they do not pass diseases to their countries when we sell them livestock and their products,” he explained.
The program also introduces innovative technology, including biometric identification using animal nose patterns, which Governor Mwadime noted are as unique as human fingerprints and will help combat livestock theft.
By Michael Oduor
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