VP launches maize handbook

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said the government attaches great importance to food security and has put in place measures to ensure its stability.

Mr. Musyoka said food security has a direct bearing on the social and economic stability of the country as it continued to pose a big challenge due to various factors such as changing climatic patterns, inappropriate production processes, after-harvest storage and marketing.

The Vice President was speaking at a Nairobi Hotel on Thursday when he officially launched the 2nd edition of the Kenya Maize Handbook.

The handbook is authored by Agriculture Corporate Development International and Volunteers Overseas Corporate Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) and managed by Kenya Maize Development Programme (KMDP) through a funding from USAID who also published and distributes it.

KMDP is a US government investment in Kenya's agriculture sector which emphasizes participation, learning to improve the productivity and marketing efficiencies of Kenya's small-holder farmers.

Mr. Musyoka commended those behind the handbook, saying it addresses most of the challenges that face the staple cereal.

He said the government would continue to work closely with all stakeholders in the sector towards achieving food security, particularly those in the staple foods area.

The Vice President noted that programmes such as the USAID sponsored KMDP are complementing the government's efforts in ensuring that proper extension information is available to farmers and other stakeholders.

Mr. Musyoka said short term measures are being handled by both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agriculture Sector Coordinating Unit (ASCU) which was set up in line with the strategy for revitalizing agriculture and vision 2030, to develop umbrella legislation for the sector.

The launch was attended by Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Sally Kosgei the Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in Kenya, Mr. Lee Brudvig, Country Director ACDI/VOCA Kenya, Mr. Steve Collins, and the CEO Kencall, Mr. Nicholas Nesbit, representatives of Kenya Seed Company Ltd, KARI, Eastern Africa Grain Council, Massey Fergusion and Farmers among other stakeholders.