The Meru county government is promoting avocado, bamboo, macadamia and green grams farming in a bid to boost farmer earnings. According to Governor Kiraitu Murungi, his administration intends to distribute one million avocado and one million macadamia seedlings in the next five years. The programme expected to turn in millions for growers is targeting coffee and tea zones in the county while residents living along water catchments and rivers will receive bamboo seedlings. Farmers in semi-arid parts of the county will also receive free green grams seeds in a food security programme being implemented in partnership with the Kenya Red Cross society. We want to introduce targeted farming among tea, coffee and miraa farmers where avocado and macadamia do well. We want farmers to take up crops and fruits that have assured market. By the end of my term, we are targeting to plant one million avocado and one million macadamia seedlings. In three years, avocado farmers will be reaping from the lucrative export market, governor Murungi said. The county is targeting Hass avocado variety which matures fast and yields more. The county government has registered farmers who will be received free seeds and seedlings by the onset of rains. The green gram farming programme will help boost food security in the dry parts of the county. Red Cross will distribute free seed to farmers and the county will buy the produce through the County Investment and Development Corporation, Mr Murungi said. The governor said they would work with Red Cross in alleviating food shortage and eventually ban distribution of relief food in the county. Instead of waiting for drought, we want to increase food production. I will ban relief food provision in Meru after four years, the governor said. He said the county economic and social council would come up with the price at which the investment corporation would buy the green grams. Meru county executive for environment Caroline Kagwiria said bamboo farming would protect riparian areas while earning income for farmers. This comes after Greenport enterprises started the construction of a Sh250 million bamboo processing factory in Tharaka-Nithi County. We want our farmers to take advantage of the bamboo processing factory to make extra money as they protect our rivers and swamps, Ms Kagwiria said. Bamboo farming is expected to minimize land degradation, improve the forest cover besides increasing earnings for farmers through the processing of bamboo products.