Policies for Increasing Agricultural Output Yet to Bear Fruit

A plaque at the Agriculture ministry headquarters reads: "To be the lead agent towards the achievement of food security for all, employment creation, income generation and poverty reduction in Kenya".

This is the vision of the ministry, which is arguably one of the most important Government agencies in a predominantly agricultural economy.

However, achieving only one objective of this vision, let alone all of them, has remained a mirage. Numerous policies on agriculture have been formulated since independence and almost all development plans have recognised the importance of the sector.

The Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation, which expires at the end of the current financial year, acknowledges the importance of agriculture in the country's development. Its successor, Vision 2030, also singles out agriculture as one of the sectors that will help the country achieve its 10 per cent economic growth target by 2010.