Stakeholders mark World Food Day in Voi

Crop Development and Agricultural Research PS Prof Hamadi Boga (right), Taita Taveta County executive for Agriculture Davis Mwangoma and Livestock Production Director Dr Bishar Elmi at a potato exhibition stand during World Food Day celebrations at Voi showground on October 16, 2021.

Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika I Nation Media Group

The government has put in place measures to mitigate frequent droughts by focusing on food and nutrition security.

Speaking during celebrations to mark the World Food Day in Voi, Taita Taveta County on Saturday, Crop Development and Agricultural Research PS, Prof Hamadi Boga said the government is committed to putting in place measures to address the ongoing drought that has affected over 2 million Kenyans. 

The PS said the Ministry of Agriculture is working closely with the Ministry of Health to develop Nutrition and Healthy Diet guidelines, Food Safety Policy, and the Food Safety Coordination Bill. 

He also said the Ministry is implementing the Agriculture and the National Livestock Policy,  Kenya Youth in Agribusiness Strategy and the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy to guide the counties in the agriculture sector.

"We are working with stakeholders to put in place programmes and laws to stay on course on food and nutrition security," he said. 

Last month, President Uhuru Kenyatta declared drought ravaging parts of the country a national disaster to mitigate hunger in 23 counties across the country that are facing acute food shortages.

WFP Kenya Director Ms Lauren Landis speaks during this year's World Food Day celebrations at Voi showground in Taita Taveta County. She lauded rural women's contribution in food production.

Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika I Nation Media Group

The PS said agriculture remains the main economic driver and urged farmers to ensure that they practise sustainable agriculture to protect the environment.

"As we look at our food systems, increase our production and as we diversify our crops it is important to protect our environment for sustainability purposes," he said.

The PS said crop failure due to erratic rains, locusts and ethnic conflicts have contributed to the crisis.

Prof Boga said the crisis has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic adding that the situation might get worse in the coming months, should rainfall fail to come as expected.

The PS said the government is monitoring the prices of commodities to ensure that they remain within the affordability of Kenyans.

"As a Ministry, we are tracking every commodity, its production and consumption and trade flows across the globe. The only threat is the escalating fuel prices and that of fertilisers. We hope that the prices will go down for farmers to access inputs at a lower price for better and cheaper production," he said. 

"This year the food systems have been threatened by the pandemic and the climate change. Last year's rains were erratic, and farmers were not able to produce enough food," he said. 

World Food Programme (WFP) Kenya Country Director, Ms Lauren Landis said there's a need to maximise the potential of rural women in production, nutrition environment and livelihoods.

Elijah Mleghwa, a farmer, explains to WFP Kenya Director Ms Lauren Landis how urban dwellers can reduce the cost of buying vegetables by planting them in their backyards using gunny bags.

Photo credit: Lucy Mkanyika I Nation Media Group

"We cannot underestimate the importance of rural women in developing solutions for the challenges of today. When we think about solutions to food production, we must remember the important contribution and value of women," she said.

She said women have found sustainable ways to feed their families even in these hard economic times.

She said the United Nations (UN) is working with the Kenyan government to mitigate the situation in arid and semi-arid regions by funding lasting solutions towards the disaster. 

"Droughts are becoming more intense and regular. We are working with the government to adopt climate-smart agriculture, to encourage innovation and to help individuals and communities to ensure against these challenges," she said. 

Food and Agriculture Organization representative to Kenya Carla Mucavi said there's a need to focus on resilience building to sustain the long-term development to mitigate the crisis on livelihoods. 

Ms Mucavi said FAO has already distributed 2,000 bags of supplementary animal feeds to vulnerable pastoral and agricultural communities in Garissa, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana River and Wajir counties.

The intervention, she said, targets 9,000 households.

"An additional 24,000 bags will be distributed this month targeting 6,000 households in Makueni, Kitui, Baringo Samburu, Isiolo and Marsabit. This will be complemented by a cash transfer programme to the targeted households," she said. 

The director in the State Department of Livestock Production, Dr Bishar Elmi said the severe drought has affected food security across the country. 

"If it does not rain in the next two weeks, we will face a severe disaster in eleven counties. We are however on course to ensure that we reduce the cost of farming," he said. 

Taita Taveta County executive for Agriculture Davis Mwangoma said 17,000 residents are facing hunger in the county.

Mr Mwangoma said the county government has partnered with FAO to distribute over 3,000 bags of animal feeds and assorted drugs to farmers in the county.

This year's World Food Day celebrations focused on scaling up the production of local food and empowering small-holder farmers to increase their productivity.