This archive report was first published on 7 February 2020.
February 7, 2020, marked a significant day in Kenya's agricultural sector as Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya revealed plans to merge the Strategic Food Reserve and the National Cereals and Produce Board. The move, according to Munya, was part of austerity measures aimed at cutting down on government expenditure.
However, Strategic Food Reserve chairman Noah Wekesa has faulted the proposal, citing concerns that the merger could be counterproductive to small-scale farmers. Wekesa argues that the lack of an oversight body to check NCPB expenditure could leave smallholder farmers vulnerable.
Wekesa also pointed out that NCPB has paid the Strategic Food Reserve most of the 10 billion shillings it owed them. The payment will be directed towards the purchase of 2 million bags of maize before June this year.
Meanwhile, Kiambu farmers are set to benefit from high-yielding seeds and extension services in a partnership between the county government and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. The organization's president, Agnes Kalibata, has highlighted the issue of seed recycling, which has cut Kenya's food production by more than half and suppressed farmers' earnings.
