Day: June 4, 2023

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has called on farmers who did not register with the government during the first phase to do so in order to help in terms of planning.

Speaking during this year’s Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show in Meru, Mr Linturi said the farmers register was important for the ministry to do its planning for future interventions aimed at increasing agricultural productivity.

‘We have so far issued around 3 million subsidized bags of fertilizer, and more are on the way. We also want to assure farmers that we will soon be focusing on other subsidies, including quality seeds and pesticides, and to succeed in this, we need to have the exact number of farmers in the country,’ said Mr Linturi.

He said the current problem of food shortages can only be addressed by getting back to our farms, and the government is committed to supporting farmers in all their endeavors.

‘As you know, the agricultural sector remains the key pillar in food security because of its role in production, income generation, and a source of livelihoods for the majority of Kenyans in rural areas.

Transforming agricultural productivity would quickly turn around the economic fortunes of our country due to the large number of Kenyans who practice agriculture.

The government has already shown its commitment to supporting sustainable production and the transition from subsistence to a commercially and globally competitive industry.

He added that the government has prioritized agriculture as one of the economic pillars owing to the fact that it has the capacity to create jobs, enhance foreign exchange, promote industrialization, and lower the cost of living.

‘The only way to realise food security in our country is through these subsidies, and we are therefore calling on our farmers to take these programs seriously, even for their financial empowerment,’ said Mr Linturi.

He added that the government was also keen on adding value to agricultural products in order to fetch more money and even engage young people in agricultural activities.

‘We want to ensure the young generation engages in agricultural activities by ending the notion that agriculture is meant for the old. This will be possible through value addition, and we are keen to implement the program,’ said Mr Linturi.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The 17-member taskforce that was formed by the president to review legal and regulatory frameworks governing religious organizations in Kenya will begin their duty tomorrow. Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki has called on all church stakeholders and the general public to turn up in large numbers to submit their views to the taskforce.

Speaking at the Kenya Assemblies of God in Sagana, Kirinyaga County, the CS said the government intends to make law to regulate the churches and ensure they are operating within the law of the land.

The taskforce led by Reverend Mutava Musyimi’s main responsibilities will include identifying gaps that have allowed extremist religious organizations to set up shop in Kenya as well as formulating a legal framework preventing radical religious entities from operating locally.

The CS, who was attending Sunday service, also said some churches have been passing unbiblical teaching that is harming society as well as causing deaths, as witnessed in Shakahola in Kilifi County. The taskforce will also table proposals on civic education to sensitize Kenyans on the need to avoid religious cults.

‘That taskforce that was formed by the president will go around the country collecting views effective tomorrow. I request the people of Kirinyaga and Kenya at large to come out and speak openly and candidly on what you want the government to do,’ Kindiki said.

Kindiki said that as a ministry concerned with the safety of every Kenyan, the taskforce will also come up with standards and minimum certification requirements for religious organizations to be registered and to operate in Kenya.

‘Even though Makenzi succeeded in this unfortunate event, this is a turning point in Kenya, and the government will do what it takes to ensure that will not happen again.’

He assured the Kirinyaga residents that all the promises made by the government would be delivered.

George Kariuki, Member of Parliament for Ndia Constituency, lauded the move by the government through the Ministry of Interior in the fight against illicit brew and second-generation alcohol countrywide, especially in the Mount Kenya region.

He requested additional police personnel in Ndia sub-county, as he has used NG-CDF to build police posts, but no deployment has been done.

Among those accompanied by CS were Mwea MP Mary Maingi,Gichugu MP Githinji Gichumu, and NGAO officers.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) has already commenced preparations for the Nakuru Branch Show, which will be held mid-next month.

Today, County Agricultural Chief Officer Kibet Kurgat opened a farmers and extension officers training organized by the local ASK branch.

The officer encouraged the farmers to adopt the new technologies demonstrated at the showground to help achieve food security through increased production in the county.

Some of the topics covered in the training include climate-smart agriculture, avocado and pyrethrum planting, harvesting, grading, storage, marketing of crops, pasture, and disease management in animals.

He said Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach to assist the people who manage agricultural systems to respond effectively to inevitable changes such as the unpredictability of rainfall and the prolonged droughts that were not common in the past.

Kurgat noted that the CSA method pursues the triple objective of sustainability: increasing productivity and incomes for farmers, plus reducing gas emissions where possible.

Additionally, he said the county was doing everything possible to assist the farmers in reducing the high post-harvest losses, which still stand at 30 percent despite the biting food shortage in the country.

Also, he stated that, despite the numerous ASK shows that farmers have attended, there is a notable disparity between the demonstrations by the agricultural officers and the farmers’ farms.

However, the farmers defended themselves and claimed that the greatest challenges were not a lack of knowledge, but water scarcity and the high cost of inputs.

The ASK shows, which are held annually, are valued agricultural fairs that bring all the stakeholders of the sector together and exhibit recent developments and new technology to the farmers.

The Ask is one of the oldest organizations in the county; it was founded by colonial farmers in 1901, and the first Nakuru show was held in the 1920s.

Source: Kenya News Agency