Officials from more than 20 counties are meeting in Nakuru to discuss food security.
The officials intend to ensure food security in their respective counties through working together with various research institutions and farmers.
Busia CEC for Agriculture and Fisheries Dr. Osia Moses Mwanje said the move is paramount in addressing the challenges facing farmers in various counties.
Mwanje spoke at the meeting that brought together more than 20 CECs from different counties in Nakuru County on Monday.
He said they are now focusing on high improved beans varieties in the country that can help address food security in various counties.
“We are here in Nakuru to dialogue on how we can work with farmers as well as researchers in our counties to address food security issue,” Mwanje said.
Mwanje commended the African Development Bank for supporting the government in addressing food security.
He, however, appealed to the government to continue seeking funds from funding institutions to support agriculture which is the backbone of the nation.
According to Mwenje, the county governments are committed to ensuring support to farmers through field officers as far as production is concerned.
“We are happy that the African Development Bank is supporting Agriculture. But as counties, we appeal to the national government to also continue supporting counties in Agriculture. As counties, we are committed to ensuring support to farmers," Mwanje said.
Dr. Hussein Mohammud from African Development Bank, Nairobi Regional Office, said the bank is committed to funding the Technology for Africa Agricultural Transformation-TAAT.
Mohammud said this is key in transforming the livelihood in Kenya and Africa as a whole.
“The bank is actually funding the Technology for Africa Agricultural Transformation-TAAT under which we have this forum so as to transform livelihoods,” he said.
According to Director of Food crops Research Institute at KALRO Dr. Joyce Malinga, there is a need for research yielding new varieties of crops that are free from diseases and pests.
Malinga said through the partnership, they have been able to come up with new varieties of crops that will help address food security hence achieve President Uhuru Kenyatta's big 4 agenda.
“We support the Big 4 agenda as far as food production is concerned and that is why we are coming up with new varieties of crops that are disease and pests free,” Malinga said.
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