The National Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Livestock wants budgetary allocation for agriculture for the next financial year increased by Ksh 7.4 billion to Ksh 71.8 billion.
The additional allocation is expected to finance the fertilizer subsidy programme, pay millers for last year’s maize flour subsidy as well as pay farmers who participated in the livestock off-take programme.
The National Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Livestock notes that out of the nine value chains that will transform the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda, six are under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
MPs proposed that Ksh 4 billion be added to the proposed Ksh 4.5 billion earmarked for the fertilizer subsidy programme in the next financial year.
The legislators argued that the Fertilizer Subsidy Programme requires Ksh 13.5 billion to adequately to provide subsidized fertilizer across the country.
The committee has also proposed an additional Ksh 1 billion for offsetting amounts owed to farmers who participated in the livestock off take programme.
They want another Ksh 0.5 billion earmarked for settling the amount owed to millers who participated in the subsidy programme last year.
The legislators want another Ksh 400 million allocated for fighting fall armyworms noting that already there is an outbreak of the destructive pests in some parts of the country.
Despite the Malabo Declaration recommending that African governments allocate at least 10 percent of their budgets to agriculture, Kenya is yet to meet the threshold.
In the current financial year, agriculture’s share was 3.1pc and in the next financial year, it is expected to increase to 3.81pc.
The National Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Livestock notes that out of the nine value chains that will transform the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda, six are under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
