Madame Chairperson
The President, International Fund for Agriculture Development
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased and honoured to join you today during the 34thSession of the IFAD Governing Council. 

 We have particularly noted that the new development strategy for IFAD in Eastern and Southern Africa Region has provided a detailed and clear road map that will enhance the effectiveness of IFAD support in removing poverty and hunger from our rural people. 

The regional strategy is very clearly elaborated in the Country Strategic Opportunities Paper (COSOP), for Kenya.  This paper which is a product of high consultative and joint work between IFAD and the Government of Kenya provides a sound framework for implementation of IFAD activities in the country.  The paper in addition, I am pleased to say is in harmony with the objectives outlined in Kenya’s Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS), with a common emphasis of increasing agricultural productivity through farming as a profitable business.

Madame Chairperson,

Currently there are five (5) on-going IFAD supported projects/programmes at various stages of implementation namely;-

• Central Kenya Dry Areas Project    
• Southern Nyanza Community Development Project
• Mt. Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resources Management
• Smallholder Dairy Commercialization programme
• Smallholder Horticulture Marketing Programme  

The Government of Kenya is currently preparing for the next project- Programme for Rural Outreach of Financial Innovations and Technologies (PROFIT) to be housed by Ministry of Finance with Components under Cooperatives Development and Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands Ministries.

Madame Chairperson,

IFAD opened a pilot Country Office in Kenya on 1st January 2008, for which we were very pleased.  We were also pleased that soon after the office was opened, a Country Programme Management Team (CPMT) was established comprising of Officials from five on-going projects, Desk officers from Implementing Ministries and IFAD Office who are charged with the responsibility of steering IFAD Portfolio to greater heights.

The establishment of this office in the Country has enabled us to improve our planned programmes.  Firstly, there are now more frequent Implementation Support Missions being scheduled for the country programmes. This has resulted in tremendous improvement in flow of funds, absorption of funds and overall performance of the portfolio.  Secondly, we can plan and appraise projects and programmes jointly with the fund more easily and urgently thus being able to advance our Development Agenda faster.

Madame Chairperson,

This year’s theme “Feeding future generations – young rural people today, prosperous farmers tomorrow” is very timely.  This is more so in Africa because a larger part of population is composed of young people.  In Kenya for example, over 65 percent of the national population is under 35 years of age.  Farming on the other hand tends to remain a practice of older people than the youth while unemployment soars. It is therefore imperative that for the youth to be more involved in farming, agriculture has to be made attractive. We believe that to attract the youth, agriculture must be transformed to move from purely subsistence to commercial farming, where farmers undertake agriculture as business that earns them enough income to prosper.  It is also a fact that most of the small farming population in Kenya is composed of women who until last year were discriminated against in land ownership.  This has now been corrected by the new constitution which makes it possible for women to inherit land.  If you don’t own the land, you cannot access credit.  Access to credit is a key factor in attracting young people to farming.  To further attract young people to farming, we are attempting with some success to make inputs such as good seed, fertilizer and basic mechanization available and affordable.  At this point in Kenya, this is not fully developed and certainly not sustainable.

A vital ingredient in this process is of course access to markets to enable generate profit.  With the problems of climate change, Agriculture is not sustainable without investment in irrigated agriculture to reduce reliance on rain.  We as Government are committed to strengthening and maintaining our agricultural institutions for extension, research and innovations, credit, agro-processing and marketing in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of farming enterprises.

All these are some of the ingredients required to realize the objectives of our theme for this year.  As a country, we are doing what we can and we will continue to do more, but in the context of world food problems, those economies and institutions which are in a position to assist ought to be encouraged to invest in this field. When agriculture becomes a truly viable business, we are certain that the youth of Kenya will be enthusiastic in taking it up. In a country where university graduates are prepared to work as street vendors, profitable farming is attractive.

Madame Chairperson, let me use this opportunity to thank IFAD, other institutions and Governments for what is already being done. 

Once again, on behalf of the Government of Kenya and in particular the Agricultural sector, I assure you of our support and commitment in promoting and effecting the objectives of IFAD, which we so firmly believe in.

 Thank you

19 February 2011