Kenya's food and nutrition security remains dependent on the performance of rainfed agriculture. The challenge of climate change requires greater public investment in the agricultural sector.

In Kenya, on March 22, the executive signed a memorandum of agreement with the British investment group United Green for the implementation over the next 5 years of a program aimed at increasing the level of agricultural production.

According to the local newspaper The Star, this initiative, whose cost is estimated at 33 billion shillings (250 million dollars), will also be deployed in the Lake Victoria basin, mainly in Kisumu county, with the support of the local company Victoria Green Invest.

It targets the grain, oilseed, cotton and feed industry value chains. Interventions will focus on improving rural communities' access to agri-financial services and promoting smart and climate-resilient agricultural practices.

Actions to be carried out under the project also include strengthening and modernizing agricultural processing systems and infrastructure, as well as creating new market opportunities for smallholder farmers.

More broadly, the new financial support is expected to support the government's efforts to add value in the agricultural sector and reduce the country's food import bill.

In Kenya, food purchases increased by 18% to reach $1.4 billion in 2022, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

Source: EcomNewsAfrique