Posted on February, 8, 2022 at 09:31 am
The government plans to spend Kshs. 23 billion in the next five years in capacity building, coordination and preparedness in managing migratory and invasive pests as well as weeds.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya says the government will work with development partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization in implementing the program aimed at boosting food security.
Climate change has exacerbated the emergence of pests and diseases that have been hibernating for years.
In 2019, the desert locusts posed a food security threat after invading farmlands in 32 Counties in the north eastern, coastal, central, eastern and rift valley regions.
As such, migratory pests and invasive pests are posing a new challenge in the country with devastating effects on the environment, food security and the livelihoods of farmers.
To mitigate this, the government has rolled out a Kshs. 23 billion worth five-year strategy encompassing the establishment of a modern information and knowledge management system to strengthen surveillance, forecasting and ensure timely and effective control operations.
Kenya will be partnering with the World Bank and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization so as to fast track implementation of the program.
FAO has earmarked 15.6 billion shillings for Drought Response Plan targeting rural communities in drought prone areas in the Horn of Africa region.
Source: KBC