Horticultural sector flourishes amid challenges

Naivasha,

Saturday September 23, 2023

KNA by Mabel Keya – Shikuku

Kenya earned over Sh.140 billion from the export of horticulture products in 2022, with flowers alone raking in over Sh100 billion.

 Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary (CS)  Mithika Linturi has attributed this good performance to good policies put in place by the Government and subsidies, which has attracted many players to join the sector.

These earnings represent an increase from Sh110 billion earned by the country from the sector during the previous year.

To this end, Linturi said the Government will continue to offer incentives to farmers in form of extension services and subsidies in order to ensure increased production.

He said the Government was looking at how the Eldoret airport can be used more in exporting fresh produce from the country, while also using the Mombasa port to export cut flowers.

Speaking during the opening of this year’s edition of the Naivasha Horticulture Trade Fair, the CS said the government is fully committed towards supporting horticulture sector in the country, considering that it’s one of the country’s top foreign export earner.

 Linturi added that the ministry through the one government policy approach acknowledged the delay in remittance Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds owed to farmers, noting that the issue will be solved on a case by case approach as tax matters are individualized.

As of August this year, the government owed flower farmers Sh12 billion in VAT tax refunds, with the CS assuring farmers that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will unlock the stalemate.

The horticulture sub-sector which includes vegetables, flowers, fruits and medicinal aromatic plants is among the key sectors of agriculture in Kenya contributing to foreign exchange, household incomes and food and nutrition security.

It employs about 6.5 million Kenyans directly and indirectly. 

The floriculture sector alone directly impacts the livelihoods of over two million Kenyans and has employed over 200,000 people directly.

Production is centered on the Great Rift Valley in Lake Naivasha, Mount Kenya and Nairobi among other areas in the country. 

The total area under horticulture is estimated at 496,062 hectares, with production of 7.9 million Metric Tons. Roses account for the largest share of flowers export. 

 Linturi has also pledged that the Government will continue to work with the agro- chemical industries and regulators in ensuring that chemicals used on Kenyan farms are safe.

It’s worth noting that there are reports that appeared in some section of the media recently indicating that many chemicals used to grow food in Kenya are dangerous and have made lots of agricultural produce such as vegetables to be found to be unfit for human consumption.

The CS also noted the government will from January next year roll out a program to offer subsidized semen to livestock farmers to boost breeding of heifers in a bid to meet the growing demand for beef in the export market.

He also announced that the government was in process of registering farmers for the fertilizer subsidy to be used this short rain season. “We want to have a solid data base of our farmers in order to serve them better,” Linturi said.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, the government delivered two million 50kilogramme bags of fertilizer to farmers during the long rain planting season. 

More than five million farmers have so far been registered and some 3.7million e-vouchers issued to enable them to buy the subsidized fertilizer from the National Cereals and Produce Board(NCPB) depots around the country.

Courtesy; KNA