The Agriculture Sector Network is urging the government to increase the number of farm inputs farmers can access under the electronic voucher programme being undertaken by the government.
Speaking during the 5th Agriculture Summit held in Nairobi, ASNET Chairman Dr Bimal Kantari said while the program has been successful in ensuring farmers across the country have access to fertilizer, expand products farmers can access using their e-voucher.
In the current financial year, the government has allocated Ksh 18 billion towards the fertilizer subsidy programme which farmers registered under the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management System (KIAMIS).
“What we are saying is use that Ksh 18 billion and put it in the e-voucher programme. The farmer uses that voucher to go to a shop and instead just buying fertilizer which is one component of his farm, he can use the same voucher to buy seed or medicine for his animals. Let farmers decide what he wants to use the money for,” said Dr Kantaria.
According to Kantaria, the e-voucher is key in reducing the cost of doing business, giving farmers an opportunity to choose products which suits their needs.
“We are very happy with the fertilizer subsidy programme, our request to government is to open up for larger basket other than fertilizer including soil conditioning material like lime,” he added.
Speaking during the summit, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi challenged agriculture sector players to explore innovative solutions and adopt smart solutions that will help improve food production and cut the country’s reliance on imports.
Currently, Kenya produces between 30-40pc of its food demand with the deficit being covered by imports valued at Ksh 500 billion annually.
“Agriculture not only contributes to exports and industrial growth but also to the very stability of our nation. The time has come for us to reposition agriculture as a competitive, technology driven business sector capable of powering Kenya’s transformation,” said Mudavadi.
According to Mudavadi, farmers hold the power to transform the country from a net importer of food to a global exporter of value added agriculture products which are competitive on the international market.
“For decades our farmers have remained price takers in their own markets, vulnerable to exploitation and volatility. This must change by strengthening aggregation centres, cooperatives and digital market places. We are connecting smallholder farmers, directly to buyers, processors and exporters,” he added.
