Govt assures country has enough food stock » Capital News

NAKURU, Kenya, Jul 23 – The government, through the State Department of Agriculture has assured Kenyans that the country has enough food stock to sustain its citizens for a long period.

Agriculture Principal Secretary, Paul Ronoh said there was also surplus produce for storage in the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPD) and possible export

He said the government targeted maize farmers in its efforts to ensure food security because maize was the largest staple food for Kenyans.

He he noted that although the government was also supporting production of other food stuff, maize came first in most of the regions.

He said the country’s monthly consumption of maize had increased by almost 80 per cent from four million 90Kg bags to seven million 90Kg million bags.

Speaking in Nakuru during the induction, Engagement and Training on Corporate Governance the newly elected Tea Factories Directors in region five, Ronoh added that the maize coverage had also changed from 44 million acres to 67 million acres.

“Last year, the country’s maize production increased from 45 million 90Kg bags of maize to close to 70 million 90Kg bags thanks to the fertiliser subsidy by the government and fair weather,” he said,

He said through various government interventions, the country had managed to address the the issue of food security adding that this year, there were no reports of hunger.

“There is no famine and starvation this year, people have not placed sufurias (pots) on their head to protest because there is a lot of food,” said the PS.

He said that from the government analysis and statistics, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries had realised that for the first time in a long while, the country had a food surplus.

“From the fertilisers distributed by the government during this year’s planting season, the crops are producing better and the country is likely to get a bumper harvest,” he said.

Ronoh encouraged farmers to get extra storage spaces for their produce because the yields, especially from the maize sector would be high.

He promised that the government would cushion farmers and buy maize through NCPB at Sh at Sh4000 per 90Kg bag.

He added that the the government had distributed at least 235 small driers far farmers growing cereal crops as a way of reducing post harvest losses which stands at 30 per cent due to weather conditions, pests and diseases.

While citing the recent floods that affected many part of the country in March and April, The PS said Climate Change was another major contributor to post harvest losses.

“The recent floods destroyed close to 60,000 acres of crops which affected around 10,000 farmers but when it comes to food security, the government has content that the country is safe,” he said.

Ronoh said the government fertiliser subsidy had also enhanced tea production in the country while at the same time encouraging growers to increase the acreage under the cash cash crop.

“Last year alone, the government subsised the tea sector to the tune of Sh1.5 Billion and it will soon release the remaining Sh2 Billion,” he said.

He said the subsidy was meant to cushion the tea growers and ensure they get good quality 50Kg bag of fertiliser at Sh2,500 and in good time.

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