Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Hon. Mithika Linturi on Wednesday met with the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife chaired by Hon. Kareke Mbiuki to brief the Committee about wildlife-induced damages to farmers. They shared insights into cooperative efforts with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage – Kenya and Kenya Wildlife Service, where they outlined the Ministry’s public awareness campaigns aimed at enhancing safety.
Linturi said, “We will continue collaborating closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife to find comprehensive solutions to these issues”.
He added that farmers in the affected regions are being sensitized on wildlife-repelling crops and bee keeping practices. He mentioned some of the repulsive crops like Sisal, pepper, and aloevera among others.
In other news, the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Ronoh Paul attended the conference on cassava value chains and gave assurance that the ministry will fully support the implementation of root tubers as a means of achieving food security.
He said the cassava value chain is amenable to numerous value additions, including flour. By doing this, the PS asked every participant in the value chain to make sure that they adhere to the appropriate standards, starting with the farmers all the way to the international markets.
In order to support the farmers, he also asked KALRO and KEPHIS to move quickly to guarantee that the precise types of cassava are recognized, categorized, and concluded according to their meanings.