Ifad pledges funds for rural people to raise food production

A United Nations poverty and hunger eradication agency has pledged additional funds towards programmes that empower rural communities to increase food production.

Italian-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) said funds will be injected into programmes that enhance food production with a keen eye on improving commercial value chains that enable rural dwellers to sell their produce.

IFAD’s Vice-President Cornelia Richter was speaking after completing a five day country tour of Kenya where she visited Embu and Nakuru counties to inspect ongoing programmes funded by Ifad under the Small Dairy Commercialisation Project and the Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme–Climate Resilience Adaptation Livelihoods Window.

“With more than 75 per cent of Kenya’s population living in rural areas, Ifad is strongly committed to investing in rural women and men who are so important to ensuring food security in these communities,” she said. Ms Richter, who met with Deputy President William Ruto, also held discussions with senior Agriculture ministry officials on modalities of expanding successful rural development investments to include stronger links between the public and private sectors.

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Since 1979, Ifad has participated in the implementation of 18 programmes and projects worth Sh81.9 billion where the organisation contributed Sh37.6 billion benefiting 4.3 million Kenyans.

The Nakuru project that benefited 120,000 people saw Ifad assist them to buy dairy cows through a grant as a part of the Smallholder Dairy Commercialisation Project.

“Ifad’s impact assessment shows farmers trained on good quality feed production, animal care and breeding experienced a 37 per cent increase in milk production with earnings rising by 31 per cent from milk sales,” said an Ifad statement.