Substantial investment in agriculture needed to ensure enough food for all – Daily Nation

= Despite many strategies, it has been difficult to achieve many development goals in agriculture. 2daysago

The country is in the throes of a ravaging drought with an estimated 2.7 million people facing acute food shortage.

Yet the country has settled into the frenzy of electioneering underlining the insensitivity of the political leadership. But this precisely underscores why we regard enough food and agriculture as a key agenda item in this election.

For many households, enough food is neither available nor affordable. However, this lack of enough food is not new. Since independence the government has declared its desire to have all Kenyans enjoy, at all times, safe food in sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy their nutritional needs that meets their cultural preferences, throughout their life-cycle.

Kenya Vision 2030 aspires to set the country on a prosperity path to be a globally competitive newly-industrialising, middle-income prosperous nation with a high quality life for all citizens by the year 2030, The Kenya Vision is being implemented through medium term plans.

The second medium plan identifies a number flagship projects for the agricultural sector including (i) policy, legal and regulatory reforms; (ii) Asal development in the Tana and Athi river basins; (iii) fertiliser cost-reduction; (iv) establishment of disease-free zones; (v) development of geo-spatial land use master plan; (vi) development of fisheries (blue economy).

Despite many strategies and efforts, many regrettably half-hearted, by the past and current government, it has been difficult to achieve many measurable aspirational development goals in the agricultural sector.

It is worth noting that agricultural systems in the country are characterised by eight agro-ecological zones suitable for different crops and livestock systems, based on altitude and rainfall patterns. Incidentally, human settlement has virtually followed the same geographical zonation.

Diverse agro-ecological potentials imply that different counties have varying economic opportunities in developing their crop and livestock sectors (and fish farming). Historically, counties with high or medium rainfall have received more public investments compared to those regions perceived to bear low potential such as the arid and semi-arid lands.

Public investments in agriculture have been considerably influenced by politics through policy making, public finance and donor funding.

As we enter another electioneering period, it can be safely said that there have been little efforts by our politicians to listen to voices of the farming community. During the election period, populist policies are promised to farmers in order to get their votes, and in many cases, little follow up is made to implement the promised projects.

For instance, in the last election cycle, Jubilee (and other opposing parties) made promises that cheap fertiliser would be made available to the poorest farmers, promises of reviving meat-processing facilities (such as Kenya Meat Commission, irrigation dams to be built and export markets to be sought. Often, many such promises are quickly forgotten once the elections are over, or are implemented in a half-hearted manner.

This cannot continue while the potential in agriculture to feed the nation, create gainful employment, revive our agro-based industries, and earn foreign exchange lies unexploited to the maximum possible limit? It is time to make some reality check on what agriculture can offer Kenyan citizens since the country aims to promote an innovative, commercially-oriented, and modern agricultural sector.

Irrigation reduces reliance on rainfed agriculture and that is reason several delegations have visited many countries, including Israel, to learn from what they do. However, the government has not done much on irrigation and neither have we benefited from the so-called benchmarking trips.

Four years ago, this government pledged to put one million acres under irrigation in five years. It identified 1.78 million acres in the Galana/Kulalu ranch (Kilifi and Tana River counties) for irrigation. A feasibility study was undertaken at a cost of Sh 1.2 billion.

The study recommended 10 investment plans, including beef and game ranching (49,085 acres), horticulture (42,817 acres), orchards (74,646 acres), sugarcane (177,136 acres), maize (93,540 acres), fish (9,577 acres), dairy (4,703 acres), bee keeping (4,611 acres) and agro-processing (5,334 acres).

It was expected that a total of about 25 million bags of maize were to be annually produced from Galana and thus bring the country back to the state of annul national food sufficiency with a surplus. So far, only 2,500 acres have been put under irrigation and produced 60,000 bags of maize.

It is disappointing. Perhaps it is time to look for any strategic lessons of the abandoned Bura irrigation scheme.

Maize consumption per person is estimated at 1.5 bags per year. Based on an estimated adult population of about 35 million, the countrys annual maize consumption stands at more than 50 million bags. Beans production stands at 6.8 million bags while consumption is an estimate 6.5 million bags, wheat production is 3 million bags, rice production is estimated at 113,000 tonnes while consumption is at 564,000 tonnes.

When shall Kenya have enough food? Any war is waged and won based on a definitive strategy.

One, there must be a deliberate political and policy shift to other ways and means of ensuring that enough food is available, accessible and affordable. Second, it is perhaps time to look for alternative ways to approach irrigation.

INVESTMENTS IN SMALL DAMS

It may involve investments in small dams using supplementary irrigation systems to reduce energy running costs.

Third, community ownership in irrigation and water management will be crucial and this brings into focus the role of county governments in driving agriculture as a devolved function.

Fourth, making water and improved sanitation easily accessible implies that girls would spend more time in school, and women would spend more time in productive activities, thus improving the general well-being of households. The UNDP estimates that for every Sh100 investment in water and sanitation leads to a Sh800 return in economic productivity.

Finally, while it is important that the country moves from dependency on rain-fed agriculture and maize, our national focus on food will require deliberate and sustained investments in better information services, use of modern agro-technologies to increase production, preservation and better use of food, investment in high-value traditional and non-traditional foodstuffs (agribusiness). Without value addition, agriculture, livestock and fisheries will be of little value to counties.

The government embarked on three-tiered fertiliser cost-reduction programme involving supply chain improvement in the market, blending of fertilisers and local manufacturing of fertiliser.

The policy objective was to reduce the cost of food production to enable the county have enough food. The average price of a 50-kg subsidised bag of top-dressing fertiliser was Sh 2,000 while market price was Sh4,500.

The fertiliser cost-reduction programme required multiple initiatives including (i) capacity building of farmers, farmers co-operatives / associations; (ii) estimating annual fertiliser demand, (iii) efficient fertiliser procurement and distribution systems, (iv) provision of warehousing (NCPB stores, large co-operative societies, etc.); and (v) addressing infrastructure challenges.

A fertiliser manufacturing factory has been completed (August 2016) at a cost of Sh120 billion in Eldoret although it is yet to be commissioned.

Kenyans will be waiting to see how the facility will contribute towards the reduction in the cost of fertiliser in the foreseeable future due to a number of potential bottlenecks.

First, Kenya is not endowed with substantial quantities of raw materials for manufacturing fertiliser except filler material such as limestone.

Second, the domestic market for fertiliser is too small for any viable fertiliser plant.

Third, key industry experts have never interrogated the contents of both the feasibility study and the independent appraisal to understand the parameters used for establishment of the plant in Eldoret.

Fourth, according to the presentation made to the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, the Eldoret plant is not a fertiliser manufacturing factory but a blending plant where the same fertilisers are imported and blended. There are several types and many types of fertilisers used in Kenya.

Land is perhaps one of the most contentious political, economic and social problems in the country and is at the core of most of the resource-based socio-economic challenges Kenya faces, the most profound being the 2007-2008 post-election violence. It touches the very fabric of national cohesion.

There have been many past attempts to harmonise and consolidate the legal framework touching on land and its administration in order to guide equitable and efficient utilization of land for different purposes (agriculture, industry, human settlement, wildlife and forestry).

There have been calls for a national land information management system, legislation of minimum acreage per person to reduce speculation, automation (digitisation) of land registries, development of a national geo-spatial land use master plan, amongst other measures, to safeguard individual and community claims to land.

Indeed, in some areas where land is not titled, this government pledged to issue six million title deeds. Although there was a recent setback, a number of titles have been issued although proper procedures were not fully followed, as was ruled by the High Court in January 2017.

Greater effort must be made to address the land question for various reasons, including providing incentives for greater use of agricultural land. Secure land ownership is the bedrock of all investments.

It is clear therefore that a significant investment in agriculture is key to resolving our challenges in food self-sufficiency, employment, economic development of the Asals and, the conundrum around land ownership and land management issues.

management issues. Blithe promises are inevitable during campaigns but Kenyans must be empowered to query political parties, and later governments, on such promises.

Traditionally, the main factors of production are land, labour and capital (including knowledge, credit). Taking energy as a proxy for labour, we have to use people, livestock and machines to increase the amount of energy for driving agriculture for production, processing, transportation and preservation.

In the early years, the country relied on human labour and animals in agriculture. However, the country must embrace mechanisation to reduce drudgery and offer the youth a viable motivation to engage in farming as a more dignified and dependable occupation.

Mechanisation promotes social recognition as it significantly reduces the hardship of employing farm labour. Hard work is regarded as a poor persons job or an occupation for people with little brains.

It will require specific and deliberate strategies to make appropriate mechanisation services (like hiring tractors) a profitable and sustainable investment for different agricultural processes. We can do it and those seeking leadership must demonstrate beyond the rhetoric that they understand this and have concrete plans to implement them.

The pastoral communities are amongst the hardest hit when we experience droughts and they are often the ones at whom empty promises are directed during elections.

The various challenges posed by drought as epitomized by periodic conflicts over pasture and water must be addressed in a holistic manner.

Kenya is a water scarce country and must improve water security, management of water catchments and wetlands, enhance water resources monitoring as well as increase investments in water infrastructure development.

Development of boreholes must take cognisance of underground water resources to guard against overexploitation as water will become salty and unusable. We, nonetheless, must end drought emergencies.

Kenyas livestock and livestock products are not perceived to meet international zoo-sanitary ( hygiene and safety) standards.

MEET MARKET ACCESS CONDITIONS

In order to meet international market access conditions, the government pledged to create six disease-free zones and three export abattoirs in the coastal zone (Kwale, Kilifi and Taita Taveta); Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu zone; Makueni and Kitui zone; Tana River zone; Central Kenya zone and South Rift zone.

So far, a feasibility study and bill of quantities had been done for only the Bachuma disease free facility on a 15,000 acre land (Taita-Taveta County). The government will spend Sh2.6 billion. When completed, the Bachuma Disease Free facility will have a holding capacity of 24,000 cattle, 297,000 sheep and goats and 18,000 camels.

While commendable, it is time to revisit the issue of disease free-zone as a strategic investment considering the importance of the pastoralist economy and the perennial electioneering promises that have been pledged time and again. Perhaps, except for the Middle East, Kenya must focus on improving livestock production to meet domestic and regional demand.

Many farmers lose most of their produce, especially perishable commodities (like vegetables, milk, fish and tea). Post-harvest losses are estimated at between 30 and 75 per cent depending on the commodity.

These losses are mostly because of poor transport networks, low value addition, lack of storage and preservation facilities. This calls for effective strategies to invest in post-harvest management; cold storage facilities, value-addition and warehousing.

There are many investment opportunities (by both local and foreign entities) in many agricultural value chains (input supply, production, agro-processing and marketing) if marketing infrastructure is developed and expanded.

Can we address the land question?

Land is perhaps one of the most contentious political, economic and social problems in the country and is at the core of most of the resource-based socio-economic challenges Kenya faces, the most profound being the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

It touches the very fabric of national cohesion. There have been many past attempts to harmonise and consolidate the legal framework touching on land and its administration in order to guide equitable and efficient utilization of land for different purposes (agriculture, industry, human settlement, wildlife and forestry).

There have been calls for a national land information management system, legislation of minimum acreage per person to reduce speculation, automation (digitization) of land registries, development of a national geo-spatial land use master plan, amongst other measures, to safeguard individual and community claims to land.

Indeed, in some areas where land is not titled, this government pledged to issue six million title deeds. Although there was a recent setback, a number of titles have been issued although proper procedures were not fully followed, as was ruled by the High Court in January 2017.

Greater effort must be made to address the land question for various reasons, including providing incentives for greater use of agricultural land. Secure land ownership is the bedrock of all investments.

It is clear therefore that a significant, strategically consistent investment in agriculture is fundamental to resolving, in a sustainable manner, our challenges in food self-sufficiency, employment, economic development of the ASALs and, the conundrum around land ownership and land management issues.

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Substantial investment in agriculture needed to ensure enough food for all - Daily Nation