World Bank working to help with food security

Exciting news as the World Bank announces it will give Kenya $200 million to improve food security and development.

Senior Agriculture economis at the World Bank, Vinay Kunar Vutukuru spoke on how they are involved with the State on how the new loan will be channelled through various agriculture value chains.

These negotiations are to be concluded by April 2022 latest according to Mr Vutukuru.

Currently, the World bank is funding various projects in the Agriculture sector with values around $500 million.

In 2019 desert locusts invaded parts of Kenya and caused destruction tons of crops. In turn, this caused heavy food insecurity across the country.

Agriculture CS Peter Munya said the locust crisis shed light on a situation that needs a well-coordinated pest management system.

Mr Munya said the lessons learnt from the invasion and the emergence of new invasive pests and weeds has also exposed the gaps related to institutional and coordination structures.

“This ministry with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Bank spearheaded the development of the Strategy for Management of Migratory and Invasive Pests.,” said Mr Munya.