Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
A three-day retreat for stakeholders in the cereal industry begins today, Wednesday, in Naivasha to discuss and recommend strategies for addressing food shortages and enhancing self-sufficiency in food production in the country.
The high-level meeting organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries will bring together key stakeholders in the maize value chain from the public and private sector.
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett says as the number of people to feed grows bigger, production of maize and other food crops has been going down due to climate change, traditional farming methods and sub-division of land, hence the need to devise strategies to address food production.
“The need to devise ways of enhancing food production is critical and urgent, hence the purpose of this retreat whose theme is One Kenya No Hunger which brings together key stakeholders to plan a maize self-sufficiency plan,” says Bett.
The major focus of the retreat includes current status and challenges of national food security and nutrition, technology innovation, mechanization, soil fertility and fertilizer management and quality and reliable data.
Key stakeholders in the retreat include Council of Governors (COG) East African Grain Council (EAGC), Cereal Growers Association (CGA), Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), Tegemeo Institute, Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KARLO), National Cereals & Produce Board (NCPB), National Irrigation Board (NIB), Millers Association of Kenya (MAK), Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) Oversight Board.