About two million Kenyans are food insecure. In Nairobi, up to 20 per cent of the population is ultra hungry, researchers tell us. Farmers responsible for feeding the country are still struggling with access to seeds, government subsidized agro inputs, diseases and pests and emerging threats like climate change.
Ironically Kenya is endowed with large swathes of green fertile land, favourable climate and a highly entrepreneurial population with institutions like the Food and Agricultural Organisation classifying the country’s land as so verdant, so lush and so capable of generating food that it could, alone, be the agricultural supply station for most of Africa. The World Bank on the other hand through numerous studies shows Kenyan farmers among the most important in developing countries capable of creating a trillion-dollar food market by 2030 if they expanded their access to more capital, better technology, irrigated land and grow high-value nutritious foods.
But half a century after independence, Kenya still remains dependent on food imports unable to feed its people on domestic production alone. And escalating food costs have pushed levels of import expenditure to breaking point and total food imports have been increasing on average at 3.4 percent every year. Despite Kenya’s abundant land and resources, food insecurity is a common problem and importing food not only drains our limited budget but can have a negative effect for low-income households who struggle to buy basic food items. It has become fundamental to not now leave the responsibility of securing our agricultural sector to government alone.
The competing needs from other sectors means the government can only do too much. Every patriotic Kenyan knows individual role counts in freeing the country from the yoke of hunger and making Kenya a better place.
At Elgon Kenya we have taken it among ourselves to transform agriculture in the country. Through modern farming practices, a huge network of field officers who interact with farmers and through the National Farmers Awards now in its second year which seeks to celebrate and recognize outstanding farmers while returning dignity to the soils, we are proud to have revolutionized Kenyan agriculture.
We take this opportunity to accept with humility and honour the recognition that was given to us by the President of Kenya for our role in transforming agriculture during the International Trade Fair. We thank the president and commit ourselves to always strive to make Kenya a better place for all of us.
