Challenges

Challenges:

Shortage and or cost of planting and stocking materials and accompanying inputs (very high fertilizer cost).
Orientation of farmers attitudes towards farming as a business
Few technical staff under production department
Empowering community procurement committees to take charge of procurement of some technology inputs locally available.
High sugarcane production in the district a threat to NAADS effort to promote food security
No clear policy on production structure and has crippled advisory services to farmer groups
Low level of commitments towards co-funding obligations by all stake holders (Refer to the table above)
Poor rate of Repayment by benefiting farmers
Operationalization of other pillars of PMA
High expectations by some stakeholders which the Programme budget cannot meet.
Un predictable weather conditions a big threat to recovery of revolving funds
Conflicting statements on NAADS implementation strategy from the different stakeholders
Lack of ownership of the programme by farmers
Political leaders’ negative perception towards NAADS implementers a demotivation factor
Conflicting programmes to same community but implemented by same Local Government
Low adoption rate by farmers yet a section of stakeholders demand immediate results
Facilitation of NAADS Coordinators with transport and office furniture
Ever changing implementation guidelines

Proposed way forward

Operationalization of proposed structure
Operationalization of other pillars of PMA
Empower SACCOs to start providing loans/credit to serious farmers
To ensure compliance towards co-funding, internal control measures should be strengthened i.e. the district should only transfer funds to Lower Local Governments that co-fund.
Empower community based selective committee (CBSC) to procure locally available technologies on behalf of their farmer groups
Strengthen HLFOs in each Sub-County take charge of collective marketing
To ensure sustainability of ISFG, all stakeholders should continue sensitizing farmers on repayment
The District/Sub-Counties should invest into supporting commercial farmers to multiply planting materials like groundnut seed, banana and upland rice seed.