By Nicholas Kamwendwa

That the level of waste in Kenya’s food chain is alarming is hardly news. Conservative estimates, all documented in various reports and task force confirm this. It is feared that close to 50 per cent of Kenya’s produce, be it crop, fish or even livestock is lost in post-harvest maneuvres, at a time when Kenya’s food reserves are dwindling.

These post-harvest challenges range from the simple to complex. The hardest hit by these are small-scale farmers who in some instances lose entire harvests to weevils, Aflatoxin challenges, et al.

Both classes of farmers have in the past reported heavy losses due to poor state of rural, urban and semi urban roads. Wherever emergencies occur, like is the case during rainy season like now, farmers are unable to get their produce to the market, leading to waste and huge losses. Yet, in the midst of these challenges, legislation does exist to mitigate the bottlenecks.

In the case of infrastructure, this country has the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) Act, legislated in 1993. The Act hereinabove contemplates establishment of Special Purpose Roads, which have currently been classified to include roads falling within national parks, game reserves and security roads.

The roads are managed by Government agencies such as Kenya Wildlife Service and the Forest department. KWS as a department has been allocated 1 per cent of the fund to maintain road network within National parks and reserves. It’s rightfully said that agriculture is the backbone of the economy. Would it not be prudent to allocate say 15 per cent of this fuel levy for special agricultural roads in all counties countrywide?

According to the Vision 2030 Initiative, agriculture is supposed to contribute 10 per cent of Kenya’s GDP.

At the current rate, this may not be tenable because the sector does not seem to get the due attention it deserves. In the past, politicians have converted this ministry into a political toy of sorts.

The end result has been incessant food shortages, fertiliser supply challenges and unmitigated losses triggered by avoidable circumstances.

Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture initiated a taskforce that developed the National Agri-Business Strategy. The strategy seeks to remove barriers and create incentives for the private sector to invest in agri-business and related fields.

It also seeks to underwrite the growth of the agricultural industry by investing public resources more strategically, make the industry more competitive, dynamic and easily adaptable to the market.

Above all, the strategy seeks to inculcate institutional frameworks to make it possible for all actors to maximise the utility of opportunities and resources.

The fact that the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries nominee quoted this document during his interview at Parliament Buildings attests to the importance of the document in driving the ministry forward.

Whereas availability of finances has for long been viewed as the biggest impediment to agriculture, the state of some Kenyan rural roads is mitigating against this.

I think it is time that the RMLF Act is changed to accommodate agricultural sector, the same way KWS has been factored.

Even as we expect 10 per cent growth from this sector, we must invest a corresponding amount of cash to fund the infrastructure. It is important to note that the technocrats at the ministry have laid out the foundation for the turn-around of agri-business by assembling the necessary technical tools needed to drive the industry.

But while at it, the new Agriculture Secretary Mr Felix Kosgey must ensure that he inculcates the agri-business attitude to the Kenyan youth.

It is them who stand to benefit most from a robust agriculture industry because they are endowed with both energy and innovation.

The benefits to be derived from the development and improvement of road infrastructure and especially the rural road network cannot be gainsaid. With improved road infrastructure, there shall be reduced transport costs and other consequential benefits and the ultimate beneficiary shall be the Kenyan farmer and the Government in general.

China’s growth

The Agri Business Strategy Paper cites interventions in China, Vietnam, Georgia and Madagascar, where improvement in rural roads network improved food production.

 It has been observed that China’s remarkable annual economic growth rate of 9.5 per cent reported in the 1980s and 1990s was preceded by rural and agricultural policy reforms in the late 1970 and early 1980. The report says an appropriate policy provides a firm foundation to agricultural sector development especially where the policy is associated with public funding of basic infrastructure and services.

In Brazil, a programme of infrastructural development was designed to improve the movement of goods to the market. This inter alia included the privatisation and upgrading of their infrastructure.

Writer is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.