- Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja who toured Trans Nzoia county to asses maize farms said Kenya expects maize production to hit 70 million bags.
- He said the government will increase support to the agriculture sector so that farmers can produce more and make the country food secure.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
This year's maize harvest is expected to increase by about 20 million bags as the country expects a bumper harvest.
Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja who toured Trans Nzoia county to assess maize farms said Kenya expects production to hit 70 million bags.
The government will increase support to the agriculture sector so that farmers can produce more and make the country food secure.
The CS said for the first time, there is a projected harvest of up to 70 million 90-kg bags mainly because of favourable weather and government support to farmers.
He said the good rains and provision of subsidised fertilisers by the government had helped farmers increase acreage under production.
“We are very excited about the expected bumper harvest because this will then ensure the country has adequate food,” he said.
Karanja inspected four Agricultural Development Corporation and Kenya Seed Company farms in the region.
"Last season we managed between 40 and 60 million bags but this year's crop is more promising."
The CS said the ADC and KSC had collaborated well with other stakeholders to support agriculture by offering farmers the necessary support they need to produce more.
Karanja said all programmes rolled out by the government to support farmers would be strengthened and sustained.
“As government, we will offer the necessary support to KSC and ADC to ensure they discharge their mandate in the sector,” he said.
Good production was an indicator that the country was now food secure, the CS said.
Karanja also hailed farmers whom he said had done a great job to produce food for the country.
The CS said the government will increase supply of subsidised fertiliser to farmers at Sh2,500 to further help them maintain high productivity.
Karanja said KSC is expected to harvest 70 million kilos of seed maize in readiness for the next planting season.
ADC which is a major contracted seed grower, is expected to produce 10 million kilos this season according to managing director Wilson Tonui.
Tonui said the government was keen to ensure adequate supply of seeds to farmers.
The seed company experienced shortage of some seed varieties earlier this year which affected farmers in parts of the North Rift region.
The CS was accompanied by Kenya Seed Company chairperson Purity Ngirici, the firm’s CEO Sammy Chepsiror and National Assembly Agriculture Committee member Ferdinand Wanyonyi.
“We will enhance our engagement with farmers so that we can also achieve increased productivity on major crops,”he said.