Agriculture is the economic backbone of most African countries and across the globe, and continues to play a vital role in the rural economy.
It contributes approximately 33 per cent to Kenya's Gross Domestic Product and employs more than 40 per cent of the total population and 70 per cent of the rural population.
The sector accounts for more than 65 per cent of export earnings and provides livelihoods for more than 80 per cent of the Kenyan population. It contributes to improved nutrition through the production of safe, diverse and nutritionally rich foods.
It is also a major driver of the non-agricultural economy, including manufacturing, providing inputs and markets for non-agricultural operations such as construction, transport, tourism, education and other social services.
Agriculture was one of the first fully devolved function of service provision to the county governments, underscoring the importance of county governments' role in ensuring food security.
However, agricultural productivity has stagnated in recent years. Small-scale farmers and agribusinesses continue to face challenges in expanding their businesses and improving the quality of produce for lack of adequate inputs such as capital.
As the new governors start rowing the counties' boats for the next five years, it is important to note that agriculture, being a pillar of our economy, needs strategic investment and appropriate funds allocation for food security.
The ability of Kenya's 47 counties to manage food security has encountered numerous challenges that have crippled their ability to deal with the impact of the ongoing drought, as well as resource-based and inter-community conflicts that have left millions at risk of starvation.
Most Kenyan farmers, who are used to rain-fed farming, are being pushed into the dryer, more marginal areas where they become increasingly vulnerable to drought and the unpredictability of weather patterns resulting from climate change.
Water is a critical input for agricultural production and plays an important role in food security. This calls for all governors to ensure an equitable and sustainable supply of quality water to the citizens of the counties, equally for domestic consumption, livestock and irrigation to ensure a continuous supply of food products.
The population increase, coupled with the expansion of agriculture into arid lands, has affected the dynamics of pastoralism in the pastoral counties, where increased competition for natural resources has sparked escalated conflict in some areas.
Furthermore, there has been a marked increase in the number of people dropping out of the nomadic livelihood, often moving into settled communities that are heavily reliant on food aid.
This challenge can be partially addressed through drilling boreholes, construction of dams and the introduction of new farming methods to increase the food supply in those areas.
Given the importance of agriculture in the poverty-stricken rural areas of Kenya, the importance of this sector in poverty alleviation cannot be overstated.
Strengthening and improving the performance of the agricultural sector and enabling the participation of the poorest and most vulnerable in this process is therefore a prerequisite and a necessary condition for achieving recovery and growth after recent years of drought and slow development.
The county governments should develop and implement policies and food security through enhanced agricultural activities as well as other interventions.
These include, but are not limited to, enhancing irrigation and water management systems, subsidised farm inputs, improving linkages between research and industry, and boosting the production and marketing of smallholder produce for better profits.
Communications and public relations specialist
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