Exhibitions at the 2023 Nyeri National Agricultural Show are set to begin after the official opening Kabiru-ini Showground.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen officiated the event on behalf of President William Ruto.
Murkomen said the government notes the immense contribution the agricultural sector makes to the economy.
He said that it contributes 25 per cent directly to the GDP and another 27 per cent indirectly through support to other sectors.
Murkomen said the sector stands as the largest source of employment with 70 per cent of the rural population deriving their livelihood from agricultural practices.
"It is for this reason that the government has put in place a series of interventions to grow the sector, including the introduction of the fertiliser subsidy programme which has so far seen farmers access 4.5 million 50kg bags of fertiliser at Sh2,500 down from the market price of Sh6,500," he said.
He said due to the intervention, the government is optimistic about a bumper harvest this year with a projected production of 44 million 90kg bags of maize up from a long-running average of 31.3 million 90kg bags, representing a 31 per cent increase.
"My Ministry is also working to support these efforts by expanding connectivity between farms and markets to accelerate the transportation of farm produce and increase returns for farmers, in the spirit of one government approach," he said.
He said the government reiterates its commitment to working closely with farmers and other stakeholders to boost agricultural productivity, eliminate reliance on imports and make Kenya a food-secure Nation.
The event was attended by Principal Secretary for Crop Development Philip Kello Harsama, Nyeri Deputy Governor David Kinaniri and Njoki Njeru (representing the Agriculture Committee) among others.
The theme of this year’s show is 'Promoting Climate SmartAgriculture and Trade Initiatives for Sustainable Economic Growth'.
The show affords an opportunity to showcase modern technologies that can make the agricultural sector competitive globally while putting more money in the pockets of our farmers.