Kwale County is accelerating efforts to revamp its agricultural sector through value addition, climate-smart farming, and agribusiness development. Governor Fatuma Achani highlighted the county’s strategy during a ceremony in Tiwi Ward, Matuga Subcounty, where she issued Sh3.7 million to local Community-Driven Development Committees under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP). The initiatives aim to improve productivity, enhance climate resilience, reduce post-harvest losses, and boost incomes for smallholder farmers across the coastal region.
The county is promoting modern farming techniques including mechanization, water-efficient irrigation, and the cultivation of drought-resistant crops. Achani emphasized that the integration of climate-smart agriculture will help farmers adapt to erratic rainfall patterns, store carbon, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Complementary efforts focus on creating agro-industrial processing zones and strengthening linkages between farmers and markets, with the goal of transforming raw agricultural produce into higher-value commodities that stimulate economic growth and job creation.
Local officials and farmers have welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to improve food security and household incomes while fostering rural economic development. County Agriculture Executive Roman Shera underscored that supporting smallholder farmers through training, demonstration projects, and access to resources is central to the county’s vision of an agribusiness-driven economy. With sustained support from national government programs, development partners, and climate-smart interventions, Kwale County is positioning itself as a model for resilient and sustainable agricultural growth along Kenya’s coast.