This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
Kenya's government has taken drastic measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 by shutting down livestock markets along the Kenya/Tanzania and Kenya/Somalia borders indefinitely, according to Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Ann Nyagah.
Speaking at Kilimo House, Nyagah stated that the shutdown is a result of the lack of compliance with the set guidelines by government on the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the wake of a Corona Virus case in Wajir that was related to livestock trade.
Other livestock markets that have also been shut down include Narok Kwale, TaitaTaveta, Shambole market in Namanga Kajiado County, and DIF and Dagahaley markets in Wajir.
However, Nyagah noted that traders can still access livestock for trade from individuals informally, as no slaughterhouses have been shut down and the supply of meat is not drastically affected across all counties.
The Ministry, Nyagah said, is committed to ensuring that the agri-food supply chain is not responsible for an upsurge of new COVID-19 infections. In response to concerns raised by livestock value chain actors, the Ministry has put in place additional guidelines for sausage manufacturers and mobile sausage vendors.
“Sausage suppliers and vendors are now required to adhere to the guidelines and work closely with the state department of livestock, public health, and county officials to minimize cases of propagating COVID-19 among their clients,” Nyagah said.
On the issue of food balance, the CAS stated that farmers across the country are selling their maize to various millers at market rates, proof that there is enough local supply for the current demand of maize from last season's harvest.
However, Nyagah noted that the government has initiated the process of maize importation by the private sector through a gazette notice on April 20th, and the imports are meant to fill the gap the country is expecting to experience between the months of June and July 2020.
The stock of condemned maize stocks that is unfit for human and animal consumption due to aflatoxin infestation is being removed, with 124,625 bags of 50kgs each already being transported out of the reserves after receiving the required license from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) on Tuesday this week.
The CAS acknowledged that there have been some fluctuations in prices of cereals, notably maize and rice, over the past two weeks due to the disruption of the markets and the transport system. However, the government is in talks with various stakeholders to ensure that the changes are temporary and minimal, so that food remains affordable.
“The increase in rice prices is a direct result of reduced imports from countries such as Pakistan, and as we work on stabilizing the prices, we have put in measures to increase local rice production through the Kenya National Trading Cooperation (KNTC),” Nyagah said.
As of April 1st, 2020, the market price for rice had stabilized at Ksh 140 per kg, and farmers have already been paid a total of Ksh 165 million to increase production to benefit the increased demand.
The government has also established a COVID-19 food security war room and food security hotline to monitor the availability of staple foods and ensure adequate food supply for all Kenyans during this period.
“The national food security war room is complemented by County war rooms, and we are able to also monitor the strategies to ensure food-insecure households are provided with timely support,” the CAS said.
The government has also initiated the 1 million kitchen gardens initiative, which aims to provide starter kits that will include seeds of five types of vegetables, namely kale, spinach, black nightshade, amaranths, and cowpeas seeds.
“In partnership with AFDB, mapping has begun to identify the first 111,000 households across 21 counties, while 19,750 beneficiaries have already been funded under the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) programme and 17,002 beneficiaries under the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP),” Nyagah said.
