Politics · Other · 1 day ago
Kenya shifts farm policy toward higher incomes and value addition
Kenya’s government says it is shifting its agricultural policy from simply producing more food to making farming more productive and profitable.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki set out the approach at an agriculture summit in Nairobi on October 7.
Agriculture is central to the government’s economic agenda because it supports households, supplies industries, earns export income and creates jobs.
Kindiki said subsidised fertiliser now costs Sh2,000 per bag, down from Sh7,000 in 2022, and certified maize seed costs half as much as before.
He said farmer registration has expanded to 7.2 million crop farmers and three million livestock keepers, while the government aims to connect farmers with inputs, finance, storage, processing and markets.
The government also reported growth in tea and meat export earnings and in milk production.
Its next priorities are food sovereignty, more and better jobs, higher farmer incomes and keeping more value from farm products in Kenya.
Kenya’s government says agriculture policy is shifting from simply increasing food production to raising farmer incomes and retaining more value from agricultural products in the country.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki outlined the approach at the opening of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit 2026 in Nairobi.
The government says it has reduced the prices of key farm inputs, including fertiliser, certified maize seed and dairy-breeding semen.
Kindiki said farmer registration has expanded and agricultural production and export earnings have risen in several sectors.
The next phase is intended to support food sovereignty, jobs and higher incomes for farmers.
- Who
- Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and the Kenyan government.
- What
- The government is shifting agriculture policy toward lowering farming costs, raising productivity and incomes, and adding more value to agricultural products in Kenya.
- When
- Kindiki spoke on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the summit opening.
- Where
- Jamhuri Grounds in Nairobi, Kenya.
- Why
- The government says agriculture supports households, industries, exports and employment, and aims to improve farmer incomes and food sovereignty.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
When agriculture works, Kenya works. The Government has deliberately placed the sector at the centre of the country’s economic transformation four years ago.
We committed to lower the cost of production, increase productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand agricultural insurance and financing, strengthen extension services, move farmers from food deficit to food surplus, reduce food imports, revive export value chains and capture greater value from our agricultural resources,
The government says the price of a bag of fertiliser was Sh7,000.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development launched the Kiamis farmer digitisation programme.
Kindiki spoke at the opening of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit at Jamhuri Grounds in Nairobi.
- Fertiliser price
- Sh2,000 a bag currently, down from Sh7,000 in 2022
- Certified maize seed
- Sh150 per kilogramme, down from Sh300
- Farmer registration
- 7.2 million crop farmers and three million livestock keepers
- Tea earnings
- Increased from Sh138 billion to Sh180 billion
- Milk production
- Increased from 4.6 billion litres to 5.2 billion litres
Sources
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