Self Help Africa is playing a lead role in a major national campaign to promote greater household consumption and farm production of a number of \u2018poor man\u2019s crops\u2019 in Kenya.<\/p>\n
The country\u2019s first \u2018National Root and Tuber Crops Development Strategy 2019-2022\u2019 was launched this month, and is seeking to support greater production and consumption in the country of key drought tolerant crops including cassava, sweet potato and Irish potato.<\/p>\n
Resilient to changing weather, the crops have the potential to improve the living standards for millions of Kenyans, by substantially reducing the number of people affected by hunger and poverty, the new report states.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoots and tubers have been neglected in Kenya for many years, and are regarded as \u2018poor man\u2019s crops\u2019 compared to the more popular maize,\u201d explains George Okeyo, Self Help Africa\u2019s Kenya Head of Programmes.<\/p>\n
Tuber crops such as Irish potato are yielding under one-third of their potential on farms across the country, he added.<\/p>\n
The National Root and Tuber Strategy is an initiative of the Government of Kenya, but is being supported by the European Union, and by organisation\u2019s like Self Help Africa, who are currently implementing a major project in the West of the country that is seeking to support both the production and the market potential of cassava amongst close to 30,000 households in the region.<\/p>\n
Compared to neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Nigeria, food security in Kenya remains a significant problem \u2013 one that\u2019s likely to worsen in the coming years with an ever increasing population, and the effects of a changing climate. To combat this, Kenya\u2019s government have produced the country\u2019s first ever National Root and Tuber Crops Development Strategy 2019-2022, in an effort to increase food availability.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Strategy is a road map for the sector as a whole, as it addresses issues related to productivity, market access, financial and credit access, and identifies opportunities at each of these levels,\u201d George Okeyo said.<\/p>