To attain food security, post-harvest strategy should be top agenda

Food security is key and ensuring increased food production is vital. However, Kenya also needs to reflect on the irony of how much our farmers lose due to post-harvest losses and how much we import to cover the deficit. There needs to be increased efficiency in post-harvest management and delivery of high-quality products. This cannot be realised with the current trend that over-emphasises increased production at the expense of downstream activities including value-addition. United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates indicate that post-harvest losses can reach up to 20 per cent for cereals, 30 per cent for dairy and fish and 40 per cent for fruit and vegetables.

Kenya loses billions of shillings every year when large quantities of fresh produce go bad during handling, transport, processing and marketing. Losses come dues to insect infestation, contamination and lack of cold rooms.