KK manifesto spells out ambitious strategy to revamp agriculture sector
The Kenya Kwanza Alliance is promising to turn around the agriculture sector to boost the economy and create jobs.
In its manifesto launched on Thursday, June 30, the alliance says it aims to achieve this by, among other things, providing capital to farmers, deployment of modern agricultural risk management instruments and transforming two million farmers from food-deficit to surplus producers.
Deputy President William Ruto says by revamping the sector, his administration would address the high cost of living.
This, he says can only be resolved by raising agricultural productivity to increase farmers' earnings, and help Kenyans generate more income, thereby tackling poverty.
This would also earn the government substantial revenue through foreign exchange and boost industrialisation since manufacturing is largely agriculture-based.
“Increasing production only requires addressing the cost, quality and access of inputs and providing farmers with the working capital to buy an adequate supply of the inputs. The biggest challenge most dairy farmers are facing now is the cost of animal feeds. An investment of Sh8.8 billion would revitalise the sector and see Kenya produce excess milk to not only meet the local demand, but also an extra one billion litres for export…. agricultural incomes have the highest multiplier effect,” reads the manifesto.
“Agriculture has the highest employment multiplier effect i.e. agricultural growth creates more jobs in other sectors than any other due to its strong linkages to other sectors of the economy,” adds the manifesto.
Although edible oils, wheat and rice consume an equivalent of 25 per cent of the country’s merchandise export earnings, Ruto noted that Kenya has the capacity to produce a bigger share for consumption and export.
If elected, he is promising to reduce dependence on basic food imports by 30 per cent through government-supported programmes on cereals, revamp underperforming and collapsed export agricultural products.
