Counties Encouraged to Leverage Private Sector for Agricultural Revival
The mobile-based extension services will enable farmers to receive timely agronomic advice together with pest alerts and best-practice guidance according to him.
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Kagwe Calls for Shift from Exchequer Dependence to Private Investment
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has urged national and county governments to adopt private sector involvement as an essential method to enhance agricultural development together with economic growth throughout Kenya.
Kagwe delivered his keynote speech during the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani Agricultural Revitalisation Summit at a hotel in Malindi. He explained that national exchequer funding as the only source of financial support for enterprise development has resulted in limited progress.
The cashew nut and sugar sub-sectors together with the Galana-Kulalu Food Security Project had unsuccessful attempts at government financing according to him until private investors entered the scene.
According to Kagwe the Kilifi government cashew nut factory which exists in that location remains nonfunctional because it does not operate anymore. The two private cashew nut factories however succeed in their operations according to him.
Private companies began to invest their own money into the Galana-Kulalu project after the state-sponsored maize production scheme began according to him.
The two companies currently investing their funds together with their capital contributions have produced remarkable results according to him. He explained that national enterprise development through exchequer funding from the national treasury has proven ineffective for our country.
Kagwe confirmed that sugar factories under private lease agreements now operate at full capacity while farmers receive their payments on time after an extended period of delayed payments. He urged counties to improve their investor attraction capabilities through land provision and commercialization opportunity creation.
The potential collaborative assets he identified included ADC farms together with prison lands and KALRO facilities.
The CS stated that private investment together with research and regulation activities from the government will lead to enterprise growth in the sector.
The CS further warned that uncontrolled subdivision of land poses a serious threat to Kenya’s agricultural future. He called for a national dialogue on strategic land use to safeguard food security and commercial farming viability and sustainable growth.
“Six children now share one acre of land which has been divided among them. We must stop this practice of land fragmentation. The agricultural economy needs large farms because they enable mechanization and attract investment and create an agricultural economy that withstands challenges according to Kagwe.
AFA and Coastal Leaders Push for Crop Revival and Digital Transformation
Calistus Kundu who serves as Acting Director General at the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) confirmed that the regulatory body will continue its work to restore agricultural production in coastal areas while focusing on coconut and cashew nut and rice and cassava cultivation.
Kundu observed that while Coast residents have long produced nuts at their current age nut production has decreased.
“We are here to revitalize coastal agriculture. AFA has been promoting coconuts and cashew nuts and groundnuts and rice and cassava and cotton and sunflower. Cashew nuts in particular can be a huge economic activity in this region,” he said.
He noted that many coconut and cashew trees in counties such as Lamu, Kilifi, and Kwale are old and need replacement with improved varieties. AFA distributed thousands of coconut seedlings to regional farmers during the last three years.
The organization has distributed sunflower seeds to local farmers to boost production and decrease the need for edible oil imports.
Kundu reported that improved rice production in Kwale and Tana River resulted from research institution partnerships which underwent testing of cassava varieties to fight previous yield-reducing diseases.
Dhadho Gaddae Godhana who will chair Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani economic bloc, requested that digital technologies be used to modernize Coast agricultural practices because digitization improves operational efficiency while increasing agricultural productivity and farmer income.
“If we are truly to revitalise agriculture in the region, we must embrace digitisation as a game changer. Agriculture will become digital in the future according to him.
Godhana emphasized the importance of digital farmer registration systems to provide accurate, real-time data for better planning and targeted subsidies. The mobile-based extension services will enable farmers to receive timely agronomic advice together with pest alerts and best-practice guidance according to him. This service especially benefits farmers who live in inaccessible regions.
Digital trading platforms will provide farmers with transparent pricing details which empower them to negotiate better deals while protecting their interests against price manipulation by middlemen according to him.
He insisted that climate data should integrate with satellite monitoring systems which counties already operate. This combination will enhance early warning systems while building resilience against agricultural productivity disruptions caused by climate-related shocks in coastal areas.
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