This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
On June 28, 2020, the Kenyan government announced plans to supply over 2 million seedlings of underutilized fruits to farmers across the country to enhance food and nutritional security.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said that 781,800 seedlings will be supplied to farmers in 17 counties, with plans to increase the numbers in the coming months.
The seedlings include tomato, underutilized fruits, and cocoa seedlings, with the underutilized fruits comprising guava, jackfruit, pomegranate, custard apple, loquat, gooseberry, blackberry, raspberry, tree tomato, tamarind, and java plum.
Tomato is ranked among the high-value horticultural crops in the country, accounting for 38.1 percent of the total value of exotic vegetables.
However, farmers are facing various challenges, including low-yielding cultivars and a lack of certified tomato seedlings.
Under the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP), KALRO will supply another 514,000 tomato seedlings to farmers in Kajiado, Siaya, Garissa, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Mandera Counties.
The government also launched the Kenya Agricultural Observation Platform (KAOP) application, which will monitor rain patterns and provide accurate information on rainfall, pests, and diseases.
