Newly appointed Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has announced measures to reduce the high cost of production of animal feeds that have skyrocketed in the last few months.
Linturi whose docket includes livestock development said in bid to tame the high cost of production, the government will contract farmers in specific Counties to grow raw materials such as sunflower, cotton, soya and other ingredients of animal feeds.
He said the move would help reduce the high cost of production in the sector that has resulted in high cost of products.
Linturi said the high cost of living in the country can only be resolved by raising agricultural productivity as this will increase farmers earnings and an excess product in the market will lead to an immediate impact on the pricing to the consumer.
He was speaking in Kitale, Trans-Nzoia County, where he started a fact-finding mission to check on the plight of farmers especially maize farmers by visiting several private owned farms.
Linturi is seeking to identify the challenges facing farmers across the country and ways to improve food security so as to end dependence on food imports.
He toured Sirwo farm where maize, tea and coffee are grown and also Banol farm which specializes on poultry farming.
Linturi said his ministry was also in the process of developing a master plan to identify suitable crops for specific regions in the country and consequently issue guidelines to farmers in a bid to improve our agricultural productivity.
