President Uhuru Kenyatta has reiterated that agriculture plays an immense role in the growth of the economy in the country.
Speaking on Thursday when he presided over the official opening of this year's Mombasa International Show, Uhuru said that his administration is committed to improving the agricultural sector by putting in place different measures.
The Head of State said that the country's Vision 2030 is geared towards improving different sectors of the economy, adding that agriculture remains at the top of its agenda before he leaves power.
President Uhuru said that there are plans to ensure that the agricultural sector grows faster than before for the sake of improving the lives of the taxpayers.
He noted that the government seeks to implement implementing the Agriculture Sector Transformation Growth Strategy, a 10-year plan which is aimed at boosting the earnings from agriculture.
“This is a decade-long process that will support the modernization of agriculture, increase value addition by moving from primary production towards processing and retail," he said.
He highlighted that through agriculture, his government can create jobs and empower the entire population as he seeks to leave behind a legacy before his retirement.
“In 2018, the agricultural sector was the largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of our nation, accounting for a direct contribution of 32 percent of GDP and an additional 27 percent of GDP, through linkages with manufacturing,” the president said, as quoted by the Standard.
He also asked different stakeholders in the agricultural sector to embrace the use of technology to drive the economy to greater heights.
He noted that the use of different forms of technology will boost the sector, which offers job opportunities to many youths in the country.
“My administration is particularly keen to support our youth and to encourage more of our young people to engage in agriculture and agribusiness and we will continue to develop several technology-driven programmes to enable them to participate in the agricultural production value chain," he added.