• Let us view land as capital that can as well provide commercial opportunities for our children and allow them to earn from undertaking economic activities and agribusiness, says the CS
• Governors complain of under and delayed funding from the Treasury
Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri has called on farmers to desist from using their children as free labour in their farms and instead allow them to exploit family land for economic gain.
Kiunjuri said many youths are shunning agriculture because their parents have been using them as labour and only offering them food and shelter in return.
He said this situation has led to the youth opting to look for alternative opportunities in urban centres.
"We should not stick to the old ways that land belongs to parents. Let us view land as capital that can as well provide commercial opportunities for our children and allow them to earn from undertaking economic activities and agribusiness," said the CS.
The CS spoke on Thursday in Mombasa during the second and final day of the third Intergovernmental Forum on Agriculture where he launched a the Kenya Youth in Agribusiness Strategy 2018 - 2022 dubbed 'Vijana Tujijenge na Agribiz '.
The strategy seeks to transform mindset and perception of young people towards agribusiness as well as enhance access to affordable and youth friendly financial services for agriprenuership.
Agriculture Secretary Ann Onyango, who gave an overview of the strategy, said at 14 million, the youth make up 36 per cent of the country's population but also 64 per cent of unemployed Kenyans.
She said the strategy guides both the national and county governments in supporting development and dissemination of transformative agricultural technologies and interventions that target young people.
Governors who attended the forum complained f under and delayed funding from the National Treasury saying the delays hamper realisation of the strategies being put forward.