Hits and misses in Jubilee’s three-year agri-scorecard

Fertiliser subsidies, mechanisation of the agriculture sector, and investment in market access are some of the key achievements of the Jubilee government in the past three years, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries self-assessment report.

Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett noted in the report released last week that the government has so far spent Sh11.5 billion to ensure that farmers access quality and affordable fertiliser.

“Over 500,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser has already been supplied countrywide, benefiting more than 500,000 households directly and another four million indirectly,” he said.

Improving maize harvests

Impacts from the subsidy programme, according to the ministry, include affordable prices where the farmers are currently accessing DAP at Sh1,800 compared to a market price of Sh3,300 and CAN at Sh1,500 against a market price of Sh2,600.

Maize farmers, said the ministry, are consequently getting increased yields where harvest per hectare has risen from 15 90kg bags to 22.

The farmers are also getting better grain prices, according to the ministry, due to the readily available market provided by the Strategic Food Reserves purchases.

Government's mechanization projects helping Mwea rice farmer

Rice farmers in Mwea were some of the main beneficiaries of the government’s mechanisation projects, according to the ministry’s scorecard.
The ministry acquired various farm machineries that include 70 combine harvesters and supplied to them at half price. The machines are presently operating in the Mwea Rice Irrigation Scheme, said the report.

The ministry noted that it has also initiated the agriculture insurance and risk management programme covering both livestock and crops.
The programme launched this month in partnership with several insurers is set to cushion farmers from losses occasioned by adverse weather conditions or diseases, said the ministry.

The scorecard also shows the ministry has procured 48 milk coolers with a total capacity of 175,000 litres valued at about Sh350 million to increase bulking and marketing of the product.

Twenty counties have received coolers

The coolers have been distributed to 20 counties that include Vihiga, Meru, Nyandarua, Nakuru, Bomet, Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Makueni, Embu, Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nyeri, Baringo, Narok, Kajiado, West Pokot, Uasin-Gishu, Nandi, and Nyamira.
For the pastoralist communities, the ministry boasts of having established a livestock insurance scheme particularly for farmers in Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASAL).

“The livestock insurance is critical if we are going to minimise risks emanating from drought-related disasters and build resilience of pastoralists in ASAL counties,” said Bett.

Under this scheme, 25,060 livestock units have already been covered in Turkana and Wajir counties.

“Roll out is ongoing for a further 12 ASAL counties with the end result being protection of pastoralists assets and minimised drought impacts,” said the Cabinet Secretary.

The ministry further noted it has established 37 horticultural markets in different parts of the country at a cost of Sh1.6 billion, with 33 of them being operational and handed to county governments.

The markets, according to the government, have seen 1.1 million farmers, traders and consumers benefit along the value chain with approximately 1.6 million metric tonnes of produce worth Sh64 billion being traded.

In the fish sector, the ministry said it has established mini-processing plants in Kakamega, Nyeri and Meru counties at a cost of Sh186 million to minimise post-harvest losses, stabilise the commodity prices, and improve the quality of fish to the consumers. Over 5,000 fish farmers are accessing reliable marketing outlets for their fish.

However, conspicuously missing on the scorecard, is the much publicised Galana-Kulalu Irrigation Scheme, perhaps due to its poor performance where an acre produced 10 90kg bags of maize instead of the projected 40 bags.