Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Willy Bett addressing a public event previously. [Photo/standardmedia.co.ke]
The government will lease out all unused public institution land to farmers to grow maize as one way of addressing the current shortage which stands at 10m bags annually.
Already, the State had identified 60,000 acres which will be leased to the farmers in the coming year with projections that 1.8m bags will be produced in the area.
In a set of mitigations set to increase maize production and reduce the cost of production, the government has further suspended maize cess between counties.
This emerged at the end of the three-day forum between the state and stakeholders in the cereal sector held in Country Club hotel in Naivasha.
Addressing the press after the forum, the CS for Agriculture Willy Bett said that the government was keen to reduce pressure on maize which is the country’s staple food.
Bett said that the country production stood at 40m bags per year compared to 50m bags in consumption which meant that there was a major deficit.
“We had a productive meeting with stakeholders in the maize sector and we have agreed on a raft of issues which will come in handy in addressing productivity,” he said.
Flanked by the stakeholders, the CS said that the government would introduce a new policy which would make it a requirement for millers to blend maize with millet, sorghum or cassava.”Said the CS.
“Through this initiative, we shall reduce the issue of malnutrition by two percent annually and also give farmers involved in millet, sorghum or cassava a chance to sell their produce,” he said.
Bett further said that the government was keen to introduce mechanized farming adding that a Sh10B security facility had been introduced for farmers keen to use the services.
He also said that the government would phase out all maize varieties that were ten years old and promote the improved ones.
“In a bid to improve maize production we have agreed with the stakeholders that we shall operationalize 40,000 acres for irrigation under the national irrigation board,” he said.
On the issue of armyworms which have wrecked havoc in the country, the CS noted that various research institutions were working on ways of dealing with emerging pests and diseases.