Kenya: Smallholder Farmers Hold Key to Food Security

The onset of the rains portends glad tidings to farmers, given that our agriculture is mainly rain-fed.

Recently, on a visit to my rural home, I encountered a contrasting scenario.

Though the long-awaited rains had given hope of a possible bumper harvest, the good news was short-lived.

Some strange pest was wreaking havoc on farms.

With farmers having spent a lot on fertiliser and seeds, the idea of spraying, which seems to be the only solution, may be a challenge to many of them, who live below a dollar day.

These are some of the hurdles that the small-scale farmers in Africa encounter daily, yet agriculture promises to be the panacea to the many challenges they face.

According to the World Bank, raising crop yields by as little as 10 per cent reduces poverty by about seven per cent, which may be more effective in reducing poverty than through other sectors.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201705100234.html

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