By JOSEPH M’ERUAKI
At Sh500 billion annually, Kenya’s food import bill is unsustainable and concerted efforts must be put into place to eliminate importation of food products. The huge imports are recorded even as the agriculture sector dominates Kenya’s economy and directly contributes 33 per cent of the GDP and another 27 per cent of GDP indirectly through linkages with other sectors.
To reduce the food imports bill, it is critical that production in the sub sector is propped up. Some of the best performing industries in Kenya are agri-based, where processing of various products is carried out, providing jobs for thousands of people in various value chains.
For Kenya to attain food security, farmers should be supplied with quality seeds and fertilisers. These are the major inputs that determine quality and quantity of food produced. This is why the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has put into place measures to ensure farmers get access to certified seeds and quality fertilizers.
The operations of the organization are within the confines of the KEPHIS Act 2012, the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act CAP 326 and the Plant Protection Act CAP 324.
According to the Kenya National Economic Survey 2022, the agricultural sector recorded a contraction of 0.1 per cent in 2021 compared to a growth of 5.2 per cent in 2020. Despite the negative growth, the volume of horticultural exports increased by 33.3 percent from 304.1 thousand tonnes in 2018 to 405.5 thousand tonnes in 2021.
This was attributed to access to new markets, increased support of the industry for production and compliance to export requirements of various international conventions, agreements and treaties Kenya is signatory to, which are implemented by KEPHIS.
Plant health is another critical area that needs attention. The country has gone through numerous challenges in terms of crop pest and disease emergence and KEPHIS is working with partners and other agencies in developing early warning and emergency response systems for plant pests to enhance detection and management.
Research for regulatory decision making has been strengthened and border control and surveillance prioritized towards protecting Kenya’s agriculture.
We are also undertaking plant variety protection by administering plant breeder’s rights, enhancing harmonization with regional and international systems on plant variety protection and ensuring maintenance of plant breeders’ rights.
But danger lurks in seed quality assurance and plant variety protection, where KEPHIS has intensified efforts to regulate testing, release and commercialization of new varieties of plants and increased farmer awareness on identification and benefits of using certified seed of superior varieties.
One of the challenges to local seed production has been over-dependence on rain-fed agriculture, particularly at this time when climate change is real. The government under the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) has put in place measures to increase farm land area under irrigation and this will go a long way in increasing the volumes of certified seeds produced locally. KEPHIS has also facilitated release of more than forty (40) climate smart varieties of different crops to mitigate the effects of climate change.
There are also efforts to promote local production of certified seeds, seedlings and vegetative propagated materials and authorize private persons to undertake specified seed certification services.
Indeed, there are many opportunities that exist in this value chain and we encourage our farmers and traders to exploit them as we rally towards attainment of food security in the country and eliminate the huge import bill on food products.
Mr M’Eruaki is board chairman, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS)