The government has prioritized digitization of the agricultural sector in order to achieve food and nutrition security plans, Agriculture cabinet secretary Mithika Linturi has said.
Linturi promised that the ambitious Agriculture Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS), 2019-29 which is a key policy towards making Kenya food secure will be fully implemented.
The strategy emphasizes the use of data and digital innovations as the main enablers for the envisaged transformation of Kenya’s agricultural sector.
Speaking in Lusaka, Zambia during a benchmarking tour, Linturi said his ministry is currently studying the Zambia Agricultural Management Information System (ZAMIS) that has successfully helped the Southern Africa country to assist farmers through the e-voucher and Direct Input Supply modules.
The E-voucher for farmers’ model and fertilizer subsidy programs that were recently launched by the ministry is implemented through the Agricultural Management Information System.
“We are here for a knowledge exchange visit as we study the Zambian digitization model that helped the country gain experience and practical knowledge in establishing and institutionalizing an Integrated Agricultural Management Information System,” Linturi said.
Linturi has previously cited the lack of a complete register of genuine farmers as the biggest challenge in the implementation of government subsidies and other farmers’ support programmes.
The latest statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that Kenya has a population of 6.4 million farmers, but only 4.2 million have been registered during the first phase of the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management information system KIAMIS pilot programme.
The ministry, he said, is in the process of fully implementing a similar system with an aim of creating a database that will assist farmers to access improved agricultural goods and services as the country strives to achieve food security
He also promised that the KIAMIS initiative will be effective in reducing the cost of food production and also boost Kenya’s food and nutrition security.
“I am looking forward to seeing my ministry using the KIAMIS platform to digitize these farmer support services and also to ensure the collection and sharing of data and statistics to support decision and policy making.
Principal Secretary for the State Department of Crop Development Harsama Kello who was also part of the Kenyan delegation has welcomed the Kenya and Zambia agriculture development partnership.
