Standard issues food challenge

By Susan Anyangu

The Government has been asked to announce prices of cereals for the next season before it is planted to encourage farmers to produce more.

Standard Group Deputy Chairman and Strategy Advisor Paul Melly said this would ensure that Kenya transforms from a food deficit country to surplus.

"As a country, we always wait till farmers produce maize and wheat then we announce prices. This is a wrong policy. The Ministry of Agriculture should announce prices early in the season for farmers to plan in anticipation of greater returns. In other countries, farmers are guided by policies on how much they will realise and this helps them plan," said Melly.

Standard Group Deputy Chairman and Strategy Adviser, Paul Melly (right) receives Sh1 million cheque from Bamburi Cement Managing Director Hussein Mansi towards the Tuungane Tuokoe Maisha initiative at the Groups offices in Nairobi, yesterday. With them are Group Chief Editor John Bundotich and Managing Director Paul Wanyagah. [PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA/STANDARD]

He said it does not make sense to import maize for more than Sh3,000, while we pay farmers Sh1,800, and perpetually continue to be a net food importer while blessed with a reasonably good weather. Melly gave the example of Egypt, a desert, but was self-sufficient in food production.

Speaking when he received a Sh1 million donation to the Tuungane Tuokoe Maisha initiative by the Standard Group and partners to help millions of Kenyans facing starvation, the Deputy Chairman added early planning in terms of procurement of inputs was critical.

"It is useful that farm inputs are procured early enough. There is no reason purchase of fertilisers and seedlings cannot be done early. We need to shift towards having long-term solutions for us to produce more and have a surplus," Melly said.

Bamburi Cement Managing Director Hussein Mansi, while presenting the cheque for the Sh1 million donation, praised Standard Group and its corporate partners for launching such a worthy initiative.

Another Sh4 million

Said he: "Being a strong proponent of long-term solutions, we have also set aside another Sh4 million to support sustainable interventions over the next 12 months."

Melly said the group was particularly interested in addressing long-term challenges to food security.

Mansi, who is an Egyptian, said Kenya has valuable lessons from his country, which solely relies on River Nile for its food production.

"Rational use of water should be a key investment area if Kenya is to realise long-term solutions to this problem. The country needs to conserve rain water," Mansi said.

Melly appealed to the Government to heavily invest in water conservation through construction of dams and drilling of boreholes.

"Our problem has always been complacency and having wrong priorities. With right pricing, right input costs and financing of infrastructure for farmers, we shall address this issue," Melly said.

The Standard Group, 98.4 Capital FM, Kenya Commercial Bank, Kenya Railways and Tuskys Supermarkets launched the initiative to raise funds to help millions of Kenyans facing starvation.

So far, about Sh10 million, which is the halfway mark to the Sh20 million target, has been collected.

Melly expressed optimism that next week more donations would be forthcoming. He appealed to able-Kenyans of goodwill to donate towards the initiative.

Also present during the meeting were; Bamburi Cement’s Projects Director Job Owino, the Standard’s Group Managing Director Paul Wanyagah, Group Finance and Commercial Director Sarvjeet Channa, Assistant Director Commercial Lawrence Njiru and Group Chief Editor John Bundotich.

 

 

Read all about: Standard Group Paul Melly Tuungane Tuokoe Maisha

 

 

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