Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has affirmed the government's commitment to fighting perennial hunger.
The CS spoke on Monday after holding a meeting with the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu at Kilimo House.
“My ministry is ready to work with FAO to implement long-term strategies that will defeat perennial hunger by improving our food production through new technologies and empowering our farmers,” he said.
The CS said the talks with Dongyu centred on areas of collaboration between FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
He said key among the areas include the successful desert locusts control, current drought emergency support and resilience-building activities aimed at improving food security.
“My ministry in collaboration with FAO will set up a desert locust information processing command centre at Kabete and also cooperate in the development of invasive and migratory pests strategy,” Linturi said.
Linturi said that FAO is currently supporting the government in the ongoing registration of farmers under the Kenya Management Information System (KIAMIS).
These, Linturi said, will enable farmers to access information that will build their capacity for food security and hunger response.
Monday's meeting was also attended by FAO Kenya Representative Ambassador Carla Mucavi, assistant FAO Kenya Representative-Programmes, Hamisi Williams and PS State Department of Crop Development Kello Harsama.
The PS State Department of Livestock Harry Kimutai was also present as well as other Senior Ministry of Agriculture officials.
