Small scale farmers are set to benefit from modern production methods and get farming equipment at affordable prices from China.
This will see the small scale farmers in Kenya be in a position to enhance food production which will then lead to food security in the country.
Adoption of modern farming methods has been a very big challenge to most small scale farmers since the cost of farming equipment seems to be beyond their reach.
The food security of China increased due to its high production rate that it experienced after adopting the use of modern ways of farming, thus, it also wants to help Kenya experience the same.
China stated that they will support Kenyan farmers in the use of modern irrigation technologies and the development of homegrown agro-processing industries at low costs. This was during a China-Kenya conference on agriculture cooperation that was held in Nairobi.
Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Mr. Adan Mohamed said that the move is so crucial to Kenya since the country is fully dependent on agriculture adding that this will transform the agricultural sector of the country.
The CS stated the relationship between Kenya and China has been boosted so much that apart from agriculture, they also work together in research fields, training and also in technology. He noted that China has been an inspiration to many developing countries due to its tremendous growth in agriculture.
Issues that were being discussed during the conference included cooperation in agriculture, livestock and fisheries. The conference came after a group of officials from the Chinese team in the Ministry of Agriculture, Research Institutions and Agro-industry visited farmers in the Rift Valley and Nairobi.
Agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy, earning over 24.2 per cent of the country GDP, and employing 75 per cent of the country’s work force. Small scale farmers produce help in the production of Kenya’s bulk cash on crops such as coffee and maize, which is the staple food in the country.
The problem is that Kenyan rural areas remain to be very poor due to the low income from the low yields that the farmers get due to poor farming methods that they use.
This is why Chinas offer to help in boosting the agricultural sector for small scale farmers tend to be a very big relief especially to those from rural areas.
Article by Vera Shawiza.