By PBS
Worth Noting:
- The Speaker observed that the current climate change threats are worrying and pose a great challenge to food security in the country and should be dealt with urgently.
- ‘’Our Population is growing daily, farms are diminishing and registering poor produce, people consume fifty percent of the farm products while they are still in the farm and this has contributed to food insecurity in our country,’’ he said.
- He further said that it’s worrying to note that most people engage in farming nowadays for prestige since most of the farm inputs that are pumped in food production end up in losses because of lack of knowledge in proper farming.
The National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula yesterday played host to Food and Agriculture Organization representative to Kenya Ambassador Carla Elisha Mucavi and her counterpart Mr. Hamisi Williams the FAO Asset Country Representative.
The Speaker had lengthy discussion with the two FAO representatives in his office at Parliament buildings on how the country can engage and ensure there is an increase in Agricultural Productivity, Improved nutrition and that Food Security is achieved for all by ensuring regular access to enough high -quality food leading to active and healthy lives.
The Speaker noted that the FAO has played a vital role in contributing to Economic Posterity in the Country and in the whole World at large hence collaboration ties with the Parliament of Kenya should be strengthened for positive progress.
He said that food and food security is vital to every human across the world and should be treated with lots of keenness.
Wetangula said that people can try and go without shelter as our ancestors did in the past but without food it’s difficult since if one has something to eat they naturally get some degree of comfortability.
The Speaker observed that a hungry person is an angry person and a frustrated one too who can be used to do everything bad but when people are well fed and contended things are different.
He said that it’s saddening to note that many families in the country are food insecure and it’s worrying that many families in Africa are living on one meal a day.
He noted that due to the prolonged drought many of the pastoral communities in the country are suffering with many having lost hundreds of cows due to the drought.
The Speaker observed that the current climate change threats are worrying and pose a great challenge to food security in the country and should be dealt with urgently.
‘’Our Population is growing daily, farms are diminishing and registering poor produce, people consume fifty percent of the farm products while they are still in the farm and this has contributed to food insecurity in our country,’’ he said.
He further said that it’s worrying to note that most people engage in farming nowadays for prestige since most of the farm inputs that are pumped in food production end up in losses because of lack of knowledge in proper farming.
The Speaker asked FAO to build farmers’ capacity on advanced farming technologies to ensure that food security is attained.
‘’We need to revamp FAO’s 4K clubs which had the motto; KUUNGANA KUFANYA KUSAIDIA KENYA that used to engage pupils in farming activities at a tender hence gaining constructive farming knowledge,’’ he said.
He asked FAO to make use of Agricultural field extension officers who are specialized in farming to impact farming education to locals for proper yields.
He noted that Parliament is ready to receive new ideas from FAO and turn them into regulations and policies, legislations for food security in the country.
The Speaker said that the Kenya Kwanza Government is keen in investing heavily in water harvesting, construction of dumps, water pans in dry areas to ensure availability of enough water for farming.
He asked FAO to educate farmers on the importance of root crops which are better resistant to drought since they don’t require more water and should be embraced in dry areas.
‘’A lot of these crops such as arrow roots, cassava, sweet potatoes, groundnuts , bananas and others must be embraced more and let’s do away with the culture that people assume when there is no maize in the country we have no food,’’ he said.
Ambassador Carla Elisha Mucavi committed that FAO will strive to engage members of Parliament in coming up programs that will help attain food security in the country.
‘’The traditional ways of looking at the weather patterns do not work and there is a need for modern farming methods which will help farmers cultivate weather resilient crops,’’ she said.
She acknowledged the need to support farmers by providing modern knowledge and embrace modern farming technology on farming and animal fodder to help in long term solutions to raging droughts.
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