Unveiling and handing over of the training manual for traditional leafy vegetables in Nakuru County, Kenya

News published:  23/10/2023

The project, ‘Governance of food systems for improved food security in Nakuru and Kisumu Counties, Kenya’ partnered with FAO, and selected agricultural extension staff, to develop a manual on production, management, harvesting, preparation, and cooking of traditional leafy vegetables.

The co-produced manual is a useful tool that can be used by agricultural extension workers during training, farmers during production and management of the traditional leafy vegetables, traders in handling the vegetables to enhance food safety as well as consumers on how to prepare and cook the vegetables.

The unveiling of the manual and handover to the County government of Nakuru, took place during a multi-stakeholder workshop held on 2nd June 2023 at the Eagle Palace Nakuru. In attendance were the county officials, farmers, traders, consumers, health and nutrition experts among others.

The task which started in early 2022, ended up with the production of the training manual in June 2023. The manual was produced by the project team members - Prof. Cecilia Moraa Onyango and Dr. Samuel Omondi, agricultural extension workers from Nakuru and Kisumu Counties as well as the FAO’s inclusive food systems project coordinator - Ms Rebeccah Wanjiru. The inclusivity and collaboration between the researchers and county extension workers ensured ownership and acceptance of the output by the actors (extension staff, farmers, traders, and consumers).

While receiving the training manuals, the Chief Officer in charge of the department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Nakuru County, Mr. Richard Kurgat, indicated:

“Our field extension workers can now train farmers easily using this training manual. It does not only provide guidelines on production, but also management, harvesting, record keeping, preparation, cooking and nutritional value. It is a manual that can be used by all the actors in the traditional leafy vegetable value chain. This will greatly improve the productivity of these vegetables which we are trying to promote as a County”
 

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