Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock Development and Irrigation

Overview of the Department

Agriculture is the backbone of the county’s economy. Over 70 per cent of the population depend on agriculture for their livelihood both as a source of food as well as income. However, this sector is dogged by challenges of high population density, outdated farming practices, poor eating habits and dwindling farm sizes which in turn has drastically affected food security and wealth creation for residents. This, therefore, calls for new and innovative ways such as developing high yield crops and animals through research into plant and animal breeding, increased fertiliser use where soil fertility has deteriorated, improved rural transport infrastructure to ease market access and diversification from traditional cash crops into fruits, vegetables and fish farming among others.

The overall objective of the department is to transform the sector from subsistence to a modern, innovative and commercially viable industry. The department envisions promoting food security and self-reliance through sustainable

mission statement

To promote a highly productive agricultural system that is efficient in resource management and guarantees food security and employment creation

vision Statement

To be a modern, innovative, diversified, market-focused and profitable agricultural sector
  1. Formulation, implementation and monitoring of agricultural legislation, regulations and policies.
  2. Provision of agricultural extension services
  3. Supporting agricultural research and promoting and promoting technology delivery.
  4. Facilitating and representing agricultural state corporations in the government.
  5. Development, implementation and coordination of programs in the agricultural sector.
  6. Regulating and quality control of inputs, produce and products from the agricultural sector.
  7. Management and control of pests and diseases in crops.
  8. Promoting management and conservation of the natural resource base for agriculture.
  9. Collecting, maintaining information on the agricultural sector.

Our activities are guided by:

  • Professionalism
  • Accountability, transparency and Integrity
  • Commitment
  • Efficiency and responsiveness
  • Partnerships
  • Gender equity

Organisation Structure in the Department

Mr. Elijah Okemwa Obwori

CEC Member - Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock Development and Irrigation

Chief Officers

Mrs. Agnes Kemunto Choti

CHIEF OFFICER – FISHERIES, LIVESTOCK AND VETERINARY SERVICES

Mr. Emmanuel Masese Momanyi

CHIEF OFFICER – AGRICULTURE & CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Directorates

The department is organized into the following directorates, along with their respective services.

Directorate of Agriculture

Mandate

The mandate of the Agriculture Sector is to promote and facilitate promotion of food and agricultural raw materials for food security and income, advance agro – based industries and agricultural exports; and enhance sustainable use of land resources as a basis for agricultural enterprises.

Functions:

  1. Formulation, implementation and monitoring of agricultural legislations, regulations and policies.
  2. Provision of agricultural extension services
  3. Supporting agricultural research and promoting and promoting technology delivery.
  4. Facilitating and representing agricultural stakeholders and public-private partnerships in the county government.
  5. Development, implementation and coordination of programs in the agricultural sector.
  6. Regulating and quality control of inputs, produce and products from the agricultural sector.
  7. Management and control of pests and diseases in crops.
  8. Promoting management and conservation of the natural resource base for agriculture.
  9. Collecting, maintaining information on the agricultural sector.

Directorate of Co-operatives development

Mandate

To provide a commercially oriented Cooperative sector through an enabling policy and legal framework for sustainable socio – economic development

Functions:

  1. Cooperative Policy formulation and implementation
  2. Cooperative legislation and registration.
  3. Provision of Cooperatives extension services
  4. Cooperative education and training
  5. Cooperative financing Policy
  6. Cooperative saving, credit and banking services policy
  7. Cooperative governance
  8. Cooperative tribunal
  9. Cooperative college
  10. New Kenya Cooperative creameries (New KCC)
  11. Cooperative marketing, including value addition processing
  12. Promotion Cooperative ventures.

Directorate of Fisheries

Mandate

To provide for the exploration, exploitation, utilization, management development and conservation of fisheries resources and undertake research in marine and fresh water fisheries

Functions:

The Department plays a key role within the overall structure of government. According to the Executive order No: 2/ 2013 issued in 20th May, 2013 on the organisation of the Government of the Republic of Kenya, the State Department has the following core functions;

The Department’s specific functions as informed by the above order are:

  1. Promote and  coordinate development of aquaculture
  2. Coordination of the preparation, review and implementation of fisheries policies, legislation and County specific Fisheries management plans
  3. Coordinate the management and development of inland fisheries.
  4. County fish seed bulking units
  5. Promotion of fish quality assurance, value addition and marketing
  6. Promote and strengthen fisheries extension services.
  7. Provision of extension services to the fisheries stakeholders in the value chain.
  8. Fisheries licensing.
  9. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of fisheries projects and programmes.
  10. Management of fisheries related infrastructure(e.g cold chain facilities along the fish value chain, fish roads and fish landing receptors
  11. Enforcement of fisheries regulations and compliance
  12. Digitization and demarcation and development of maps for cage culture potential areas
  13. Recreational Fisheries
  14. On farm trials and Outreach – eat more fish campaigns
  15. Zonation for aquaculture County specific disease control

Directorate of Livestock Development

Mandate

To promote, regulate and facilitate livestock production for socio-economic development and industrialization.

 Functions:

  1. Formulation of county policies and programmes and implementation of specific national policies, programmes and agreements; Fourth Schedule Part 2(1); Fourth Schedule Part 2(10); Fourth Schedule Part 2 (8)
  2. Enforce national standards and promote development of county livestock production standards in line with national guidelines. Fourth Schedule Part 2(1)
  3. Develop disaster preparedness, management and mitigation strategies in livestock production in the county; Fourth Schedule Part 2(12)
  4. Provide extension services in animal husbandry, value addition and community mobilization for livestock development; Fourth Schedule Part 2(1); Fourth Schedule Part 2(14)
  5. Collaborate and liaise with mandated research centres and set county research agenda; Article 35, Fourth Schedule Part 2 (1).
  6. Develop and implement relevant guidelines on animal and forage genetic resource, improvement and conservation Fourth Schedule Part 2(1)
  7. Collect and manage livestock production data and information. Article 35, Fourth Schedule Part 2 (1).
  8. Enforce national and county legislation on land use planning for Livestock Production.  Fourth Schedule Part 2 (10).
  9. Develop and promote sustainable use of natural resources (including rehabilitation of range lands) for livestock development.  Fourth Schedule Part 2 (10).
  10. Promote commercially oriented livestock production, value addition and marketing Article 35 Fourth Schedule Part 2 (1); Fourth Schedule Part 2 (7).
  11. Inspect feeding and nutritional value and quality of animal feedstuffs. Article 46 (Delegated from National level)
  12. Implement regional and international agreements. Fourth Schedule Part 2(1); Fourth Schedule Part 2(10);
  13. Monitoring and evaluation of livestock production based programmes and projects. Fourth Schedule Part 2(1); Fourth Schedule Part 2(8);
  14. Promotion of good livestock production practices Fourth Schedule Part 2(1);
  15. Promotion of livestock organic farming and certification Fourth Schedule Part 2(1); Article          69.
  16. Building capacity of staff in the sub-counties and wards. Fourth Schedule Part 2(14);
  17. Livestock identification, registration and performance evaluation. Fourth Schedule Part 2

Directorate of Veterinary

Mandate

Prevent and control animal diseases and pests to safe guard human health, improve animal welfare, increase livestock productivity, ensure high quality livestock and their products and facilitate domestic and international trade.

Functions:

  1. Formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of animal health related strategies, policies and legal framework.
  2. Management, control and eradication of animal diseases and pests including zoonoses in collaboration with other stakeholders.
  3. Laboratory diagnostic services and disease surveillance.
  4. Provision and facilitation of extension services in animal health, welfare and production.
  5. Development of veterinary farms, quarantine stations and other infrastructure.
  6. Development and coordination of projects and programmes in animal health sector.
  7. Information management for the animal health sector.
  8. Veterinary regulatory management and quality control of inputs, livestock, and livestock products and by products.
  9. Veterinary public health.
  10. Research agenda setting, research liaison and regional and international coordination in animal health.
  11. Management and conservation of animal resource base and biodiversity.
  12. Management control and impact assessment of animal diseases and pests on food security and livelihoods.

Directorate of Crop Production

Our Contact

Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock Development and Irrigation

Phone: +254 58 30005 / 30081
Location: Behind Kisii DC Government Offices
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