Agriculture is a vehicle for EAC economic transformation, Kenyan farmer leader declares

06/06/2016

Agriculture is a vehicle for EAC economic transformation, Kenyan farmer leader declares

 By Esaff Correspondent 

Its high time East African Community states started addressing agriculture as a multidimensional vehicle for economic transformation with view to empowering small holder farmers.

According to a Kenyan farmer leader Mr.  Alfayo Kuruna for the transformation to take place domestication of Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Africa Agricultural Growth and Transformation, is crucial to enable states reach desired agricultural growth milestones.

Mr Alfayo Kuruna, the chairperson of Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum (KESSFF) addressing EAC Budget Summit 2016 was adamant that the need to develop agriculture was overwhelming.

 “Agriculture offers great promise for food and nutrition security, economic growth, poverty reduction and empowerment of women as well as attainment of national and international development goals,” he stated.

He warned that failure to take measures to address challenges facing the sector at the moment would result in severe consequences for masses in EAC.  The farmer leader noted that there are key issues that need to be looked at for the sector to move to a new level.  This includes technical innovations, opportunities for industrialization in agriculture, enhancing productivity, land ownership for empowerment of women and girls, among others.

Mr. Kuruna also informed that civil society, led by ESAFF was doing its part to bring changes in the sector.  ESAFF was pushing the use of public expenditure tracking surveys (PETS) as an entry point to demand for good governance in issues affecting farmers.