By Lulama Ndibongo Traub, Thomas Jayne & Wandile Sihlobo. This article was first published on The Conversation on August 1st 2021 What will it take to build sustainable, resilient food systems in African countries? This was among the questions considered at the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit in late July. The summit, the first of its kind in this century, …
Kenya: Why COVID-19 is another blow for Kenya’s food security
By Timothy Njagi Njeru & Miltone Ayieko Were. 20 April 2020. This article was originally published on Modern Ghana, online. Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images Kenya faces one of the most challenging years when it comes to food security. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, food security is achieved when all people, at all times, have physical, …
Kenya: 5,000 Bags of Maize Released to Tame Famine
By Gerald Andae. 19 March 2019. This story was originally posted in Daily Nation. The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has released 5,222 bags of maize to the drought-stricken counties as the government steps in to avert a humanitarian crisis. The stocks are part of the 3.5 million bags that the NCPB is currently holding as the Strategic Food Reserve. …
Kenya: Wheat Price-Fixing Shortchanging Local Millers
16 January 2019. This story was originally posted in Business Daily. Millers say they have become uncompetitive after they were compelled to pay farmers Sh3,200 for a 90-kilo bag of wheat last year against the background of free movement of goods in the region. The State-set price was way above the import parity price of Sh2,500. Kenya allocated the processors …
Costly diesel sets stage for higher food prices
By Gerald Andae. 19 March 2018. This story was originally posted in Business Daily. Commodity prices are expected to rise as farmers factor in the steady rise in the cost of diesel over the past eight months. The price of diesel has been on an upward trajectory since July last year with Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) attributing the rise to …
Farmers urged to embrace technology to boost food production
By Beth Nyaga, January 15, 2018. This article was originally posted on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Egerton University has come up with new ways of ending perennial shortage and sky rocketing prices of maize in the country. Through its constituent college, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development (TIAPD), the institution of higher learning is urging farmers to embrace technology in …
Kenya to continue grappling with acute food shortage
Tegemeo Institute Director, Dr. Milton Ayieko, said the Kenya is still staring at an acute shortage of food up to April next year, a situation likely to prompt the Government to resort to a subsided programme.
State to introduce land lease models to attract youth to agriculture
By Agatha Ngotho. June 21, 2017. The Star In Kenya, the state plans to introduce a land lease model to make it easy for the youth to lease land. Agriculture Minister Willy Bett said the government will spend Sh340 million to enhance access and sustainable use of land for the youth in agribusiness. This, he added, will help increase youth access …
A kilo of sugar to retail at Sh100, 56,000 tonnes have been imported, says Bett
By Agatha Ngotho. The Star — June 5, 2017. The national government has assured citizens that sugar prices will decrease to between Sh100 and Sh110 per kilo. Agriculture CS Willy Bett on Friday said the decrease in cost is due to the importation of 56,000 metric tonnes of sugar. Currently, the average price for a kilo is Sh200, a 53.8 per cent …
Small-scale farmers could earn Sh15bn if memo is adopted
By Gerald Andae. Business Daily – Africa. 14 March 2017. Smallholder farmers could earn up to Sh15 billion annually if a Ministry of Agriculture memo to the Cabinet requiring 30 per cent of public institutions’ produce procurement be directly reserved for farmers is adopted. The ministry says the Cabinet memo is intended to link small-scale farmers to the market through …