PRESIDENT William Ruto wants Kenya to fulfill its potential to feed itself and export food to other countries.
He is against the East African country importing food.
“We must turn agriculture into a commercial economic activity,” Ruto said.
He made the remarks at State House in Nairobi during a consultative meeting with Governors, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry and Development Partners.
The meeting focused on the promotion of trade, strengthening of market linkages, and the establishment of aggregation centres and industrial parks in counties.
Ruto explained that the government was consolidating main trading blocs in Africa so as to give value to Kenyan farmers.
“We should allow our farmers to earn more from their sweat by exploiting new and lucrative markets for them,” he noted.
“We have agreed to work together to promote investment and trade so as to stimulate our country’s economic growth,” the president said.
Ruto added that that land in regions such as Mandera, Turkana and Wajir, among other arid areas should not be lying idle.
“Commercial irrigation will turn these regions into our food baskets. Water harvesting will, therefore, form the main part of our country’s transformation plans.”
In Kenya, East Africa’s largest economy, telecommunications and financial activity comprise over 60 percent of gross domestic product. Over 20 percent of GDP comes from agricultural, which employs 75 percent of the labour force.
Source : Caj News Africa
