The government has urged farmers to embrace drought-tolerant and early maturing crops in order to ensure food and nutrition security in the country.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said the use of drought-tolerant and early maturing crops is a major step towards mitigating challenges posed by climate change.
Further, he said there is need to harness the potential of irrigation and development of water dams to enable the cultivation of crops all year round to ensure the availability of food within households.
“This will be a direct contribution towards food and nutrition security. To mitigate the challenge of climate change we encourage farmers to use drought tolerant crops, other early maturing crops and construction of water dams,” said Linturi.
Food and nutrition security
The CS further urged farmers to diversify into other crops that will combat the realities of climate change such as drought, pests, floods and heat.
He explained that Fall Army worms pests in maize, tomato leaf miner and maize lethal necrosis disease have brought untold challenges to farmers that have cumulatively resulted into crop loss; in some cases, up to even 80 per cent.
However, to combat the challenge, Linturi pointed out that Seed Trade Association of Kenya (Stak) is part of an ongoing initiative aimed at addressing the issue of maize lethal necrosis disease.
As part of the government’s bottom up economic agenda on food and nutrition security, he said farmers are encouraged to plant new, clean and certified seeds.
He explained that studies have shown that in cases where certified seeds are adopted and planted, yield increases by one and half times.
“This leads to poverty reduction, improved livelihoods in many cases as a farmer is able to have enough produce to meet domestic consumption and surplus to sell,” he said.
The CS said the three major regional economic communities are working on finalising a tripartite agreement for ease of seed movement and trade in the continent.
He said this will ensure farmers across the region have the best access to quality and certified seeds.
“I am aware of the challenges posed by 16 per cent VAT on vegetable seed which continues to make the seed business unattractive as compared to our neighbours. We will work with East Africa 11 Community member states to address this taxation so as to ensure that our farmers have access to affordable agricultural inputs,” Linturi said.
