Why youth should embrace farming for Kenya to be food secure in future

The youth have been told to embrace farming  to enhance sustainability in Kenyan food security.

This comes amid a concern that many young people in the country abandon crop production for elderly persons. However, this situation is predisposing Kenya to the risks of a serious food shortage in the future.

The looming food crisis results from the fact that the elderly persons’ energy is diminishing.

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, the Secretary of Administration in the Ministry of Agriculture Rashid Khator, and the Deputy Country Director of the World Food Programme, Kune Kent, who graced the event, said there was a need for sustainability in food production in Kenya.

Speaking at Kendu Bay Show Ground in Homa Bay County, Wanga said Kenya will not have an adequate food supply if the youth do not embrace agriculture.

The Governor argued that the youth are the ones with energy, hence their involvement in food production is significant.

She said the youth can also find it easy to embrace modern farming technologies.

“There are new farming technologies that help boost food can be implemented better by young people. Embracing agriculture among our youth will also help us in reducing unemployment,” Wanga said.

She argued that both national governments had put robust measures in place to support crop and livestock production.

But the measures cannot yield fruit if young people don’t embrace them.

“What we want is sustainability in agriculture to enable us to be food secure. But this cannot be achieved if our young people do not embrace agriculture,” Wanga said.

The Governor said Homa Bay had prioritised farming as one of its various crops as an economic activity for empowering farmers.

These include promotion of edible oil such as sunflower, soya beans, and others.

“We are now focusing on the value addition of various crops that we produce in Homa Bay. We are also starting an agricultural college in Rachuonyo East Sub-county to augment agricultural activities in this county,” Wanga said.

Khator said the National government had established a subsidy programme for seeds and fertilizers. This is aimed at cushioning farmers from the high cost of production.

He said the government was also creating a conducive environment for agricultural innovation.

“The government's objective of the government is to create a conducive atmosphere for crop production. We want every farmer to grow crops in a conducive atmosphere to enable us to have food production,” said Khator.

Kent urged Kenyans to embrace food production.

“This celebration enables us to get a platform for encouraging citizens to grow crops. Our main aim is to enhance food security in this country,” Kent said.

Farmers used the opportunity to showcase various technologies used in crop and livestock.

Various organizations that partner with support agricultural activities expressed their readiness to support Kenya and Homa Bay County Government in crop production.