Lands, Physical Planning, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Veterinary Services and Cooperative Development
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The land in the county is largely non-arable covering 31,798.7 km2, forming 80 % of the total land size. The arable land covers 2,547 km2, forming about 7 %.

- Vision
To Ensure sustainable management of land in the county
- Mission
Facilitate improvement of livelihood to the people through efficient administration equitable access and sustainable management of land resource.
Core Values and Principles
- Honesty
- Integrity
-
Transparency, accountability and
personal responsibility - Teamwork
- Zero tolerance to corruption
- Patriotism
- Enthusiasm
- Non discrimination
Main Programs Being Implemented
- Preparations for physical and land use plans
- Establishment of GIS laboratory
- “Eco-Villages” cluster program
Organization of the Department
Directorate Functions & Core Mandate
- Formulate, implement and monitor agricultural sector legislation, regulations and policies
- Provide agriculture extension services
- Manage and control crop pests and diseases
- Facilitate development and rehabilitation of agricultural marketing infrastructure
- Promotion of irrigation projects
- Promoting marketing of agricultural products
- Agriculture Mechanization Services
- Capacity building of farmers
- Provide extension services in animal husbandry, value addition and community mobilization for livestock development
- Develop and implement guidelines on animal and forage genetic resource improvement and conservation
- Collect and manage livestock production data and information
- Develop and promote sustainable use of natural resources for livestock production
- Development of livestock industry
- Range development and management
- Livestock marketing
- Promotion of bee keeping (apiculture)
- Animal disease control
- Laboratory diagnostic services and disease surveillance
- Provision and facilitation of extension services in animal health, welfare and production
- Vector control
- Local animal breed improvement
- Food safety and meat inspection services
- Promote responsible and sustainable utilization of fisheries resources
- Ensure compliance to Fisheries Laws and regulations;
- Promote good fish handling practices, marketing, value addition and product development
- Promote fish farming and strengthen aquaculture extension services
- Strengthen institutional, policy and legal framework for fisheries development
The key thematic areas are anchored on the “OCEANS AND FISHERIES POLICY” that was developed in year 2008 and launched 2009.
Fisheries Management as mandated by the Fisheries Act CAP 378 [Revised 2012] and the enabling Legislation.
- Under this the Department participated in the development of the “MALINDI-UNGWANA BAY” Fisheries Co- management Plan upon which all marine fisheries activities in Ungwana Bay will be based. Tana River County has 96 kilometers coastline of the Bay.
- Supervision of the implementation of the ”PRAWN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLAN” through the “Fishing vessels boarding observer programme”.
Monitoring, Control and surveillance for removal of Illegal, Unregistered and Uncontrolled fishing activities by conducting inspection patrols where 3 successful exercises were conducted. This was accompanied by issuing of various licenses for the control of fishing, hygiene and marketing of fish and fishery products.
Participation in the development of deep water fishing “DROPLINE TECHNIQUE” - ProductionThe above activities are geared towards sustainable management of the fisheries resource and increased production and productivity.The fisheries production include prawns of the Kipini/Ungwana bay fishery which is a major producer in Kenyan waters .There are pelagic and the migratory fish spp. including tuna and tuna-like fishes, little mackerel, king fish, mullets , dermersals spp, red sea bass, rabbit fish, red and snappers, and a wide variety of other inshore spp. Total marine production was 20,000 kgs valued at ksh 20 million.
Aquaculture Development
- Under the ESP Programmed of 2009 the Department constructed 937 fish ponds in all the constituencies. The ponds were either individually owned or institutional in schools. The government assisted in the construction, stocking and the initial inputs of fertilizers and fish feed.
- The department has been providing technical support and extension outreach to the fish farmers all ever the county. Through this over 100 ponds have been installed with pond liners to stop seepage of water,300 bags of fish feed has been distributed, and 200 ponds harvested.3000 kgs of fish are reported to have been harvested this year alone valued at ksh 750,000.However this figure does not give the correct position as many farmers have failed to provide reliable data. The figure could be double or more.
- Four groups of farmers were trained this financial year in Bura,Galole,Wenje and Tana Delta respectively
Fisheries Research and Development
All the research activities in the County are supported by the Kenya Coastal Development Project through the National office at the regional Center in Mombasa. The main activities include:
- Fish drying solar facilities at Kipini
- Modern fish smoking kilns at Kipini
- Tana Delta Lango la Simba smoking kilns
- Deep Sea “DROPLINE FISHING” method
- The Department in the CIDP has proposed the construction of a Flake Ice making facility at Kipini to improve marine fish production by creating a fish cold chain regime in the County starting upstream at harvesting stages.
Post Harvest Practices and Trade
- This involved inspections on fish handling facilities in Kipini where the “SEA HARVEST LTD” fish deport was inspected
- The construction of the fish drying facilities and ice production target this area.
- Implement cooperative development policy.
- Formulate County cooperative legislation and support services.
- Provide cooperative education and training.
- Ensure good cooperative governance.
- Development of dairy cooperatives societies.
- Market cooperative movements.
- Promote cooperative societies/ventures.
- Provide value addition to cooperative development.
- Prepare spatial plans to guide development across the County as per the Physical and Land Use Planning Act No. 13 of 2019
- Provide survey services to ensure that property boundaries are clear and beaconed as per the Survey Act and Land Registration Act
- Manage land use and ownership
- Public Land (Plots) Administration and Management
- Vetting of Development Plans and survey of plots
- Advise the County Government, the National Land Commission and members of the public on the most appropriate use of land including land management matters such as change of user, extension of user, extension of lease, subdivision of land and amalgamation of land
- To ensure efficient and sustainable land use and management of land and land-based resources