Counties have spent an estimated Sh2 billion to support farmers and ensure food security during and after Covid-19.
Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said many farmers are still receiving fertiliser and seed subsidies for the planting season.
He said cumulatively, farmers in all counties have been given more than 10,000 tonnes of free fertiliser, 1,376 tonnes of assorted seeds and 93,000 assorted fruit tree seedlings.
Livestock farmers have received support to increase production and market their produce.
“Further, county governments have partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in creating situation/war rooms that will focus on weekly monitoring of the food situation,” Oparanya said.
The war rooms will focus on reporting on availability, accessibility and affordability of food in the country to inform Kenyans about the food situation in each county and the nation at large, according to the CoG boss.
The county situation/war room has installed hotlines to assist traders and transporters on their daily operations and members of the public who experience any challenges in relation to food.
“We urge our farmers and traders to continue with their operations while observing the guidelines put in place. In the event of challenges, they are advised to use hotline numbers that will be provided to the public,” Oparanya said.
There have been concerns that the country may experience a drop in maize production and other food crops, mainly because of the effects of Covid-19.
There have been delays in supply of seeds and fertiliser as farmers were forced to comply with all measures put in place to control the spread of the coronavirus.
“Despite the challenges, most farmers have planted crops on their farms, but we still have a considerable huge number who are still planting with the ongoing heavy rains in most parts of the country,” Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo said.
Last year, the country recorded a drop in maize production by more than 10 million bags from the previous year. More than 44 million bags were harvested in 2018 compared to 33 million bags last year.
The government has announced plans to import about four million bags of maize in the next few months to mitigate anticipated shortages later in the year.
Edited by A.N
