EDITORIAL: Addressing the food security challenge timely

Tuesday, June 16, 2020 0:01

By EDITORIAL

The farming sector employs about 40 percent of the country’s workforce.

FILE PHOTO | NMG 

The decision by the State to address both the immediate and long-term aspects of the country’s food security challenge makes for a good budgetary step.

While only Sh52.8 billion has been allocated directly to agriculture, it is commendable that the budgetary resources set aside to uplift the country’s food security in the 2020/21 financial will jump to Sh132 billion when all the sector-related funds are lumped together.

In other words, there is likely to be an immediate impact on food security if and when the ministry spends the Sh41.8 billion on crop services, Sh6.96 billon on fisheries and Sh5.57 billion on livestock as envisaged and without wastage as has happened with various government agencies in the past.

However, the budgetary allocation is just one step in addressing the country’s complex food security challenge.