NAIROBI – NEPAD Kenya says it is committed to transforming the country’s agriculture sector by empowering youths and ensuring food security.
Mr Nicholas Ambundo, the Programme Coordinator of the Country’s Office said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nairobi.
Ambundo said that NEPAD Kenya was collaborating with the country’s Ministry of Agriculture through its Agricultural Sector Coordinatioin Unit (ASCU).
He said that the ASCU’s activities were established from the Agriculture Sector Development strategy (ASDS), a national policy document for the agriculture sector in Kenya.
According to him, the policy document gives direction to the public and private players in addressing the major development challenges facing the sector.
“These are all strategies put on ground to also create employment opportunities for our youths and re-awaken their interest in agriculture and to ensure food security. [eap_ad_1] “Most youths are not interested in agriculture as they prefer migrating to the urban areas to look for white collar jobs when they can venture into agriculture as a business.
“We have also made plans to add value to farming activities by ensuring the use of modern practices to improve the productivity level.
He told NAN that the government had already established a fund offering grants to youths in organised groups.
The programme coordinator further said that the Parliament had evolved a legislation to ease demand for collateral in respect of loans, so that youths could easily access funding.
Ambundo suggested that NEPAD Nigeria could adopt this strategy to boost the country’s agricultural and youth development.
He said that NEPAD Kenya looked forward to hosting the Africa Week in 2014 “when we can showcase NEPAD activities and programmes.
“And we would also in the course of the year, host the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Lecture in Kenya. (NAN)
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