This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
Kenya's economy has long been reliant on agriculture, with the sector contributing between 26% and 30% of the country's GDP before the COVID-19 pandemic. The President's Big 4 agenda, which prioritizes food security, is heavily dependent on the agriculture sector's performance.
However, the pandemic has highlighted the need for the sector to adapt and innovate in order to remain competitive. Digital platforms and technologies have played a crucial role in boosting the agriculture sector during this period, with farmers using online platforms to sell their products directly to consumers.
Amanda Namayi, a youth advocate for ZeroHunger, noted that the use of digital platforms has increased food safety standards by reducing the number of people handling the food before it reaches the consumer. Additionally, it has locked out middlemen who have been known to exploit farmers.
Before the pandemic, some dairy cooperatives had begun piloting a milk accountability and traceability system, which allows farmers to know the quantity of milk accepted without being present at the collection center. This system is ideal in the era of social distancing, limiting the number of people at collection centers.
The Ministry of Agriculture's 2019-2029 Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy has three anchors, including increasing agricultural output and value addition. Value addition is a key way to increase sales by creating product variety, making use of excess produce, and creating opportunities for other sectors to generate income from crop and animal products.
With the Kenyan airspace closed for over three months, imports of agricultural inputs such as milk aluminium cans and milking machinery were severely impacted. This highlights the need for the country to improve its access to quality inputs.
