Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi has said the National government will work in collaboration with County governments to improve the agricultural sector.
Speaking during the official opening of the Kitale National Agricultural Society of Kenya Show Friday, he said it was unfortunate that the country was still grappling with food insecurity.
The CS who took office on Thursday said there was an urgent need for collaboration between County Governors and the farming community in order to revamp the agricultural sector he said is the backbone of the economy.
Linturi said the transformation of the agricultural sector needs stakeholders’ participation which will help provide an opportunity to reflect on the transformation of the sector.
“Food security is the key to ensuring that we have national security. When people are left hungry, they will involve themselves in crime in order to get food to feed themselves and their children," he said.
He pledged the national government’s help to farmers and youths to participate in agricultural production.
The sector he said has grappled with high costs of farm inputs, adding that credit facilities will be availed to both small and large-scale farmers to engage in agricultural production.
"This Country is now moving towards food security. We are going to partner with Counties to ensure farmers responsibly and profitably get on farms to produce food enough to feed people and create employment opportunities," he said.
The CS challenged County governments to offer training to farmers in animal husbandry.
He challenged farmers to redouble their efforts in food production as one way of helping the government bring to an end food importation.
"I’m going to work closely with County governments to have County food reserves put in place," he noted.
He decried farmland fragmentation saying it had greatly impacted the increase in production costs leading to farm inefficiency.
This year’s show attracted more than 100 exhibitors from agriculture, manufacturing, housing, small and medium enterprises, banking and technology, public and private technology and hospitality industries.
