President Uhuru Kenyatta receives the Miraa Task Force report from its chairman Geoffrey Nchooro M'mwenda at State House, Nairobi on April 4, 2017. |
President Uhuru
Kenyatta has directed the government to release Sh1.2 billion to
implement recommendations made by a taskforce towards recovery of the
miraa farming sector.
The president
issued the directive Tuesday after the 14-member team he formed to look
into the sector presented its report to him at State House, Nairobi.
Besides the Sh1.2
billion being released for implementing the recommendations, the
government has also allocated another Sh1 billion in the budget
presented last week to go towards promoting the cash crop.
Mr Kenyatta said all priority recommendations by the taskforce should be implemented within the year.
"The money that was
allocated will now be released and it will be used in accordance with
the recommendations of the task force," said the president.
Key among the immediate recommendations is providing seed capital for farmers to access affordable credit.
This is aimed at
redemption of leased miraa farms to break the cycle of poverty. The
government will facilitate the setting up of saccos so that growers can
access the credit in an organised manner.
KEMRI PARTNERSHIP
The State says it
is planning to set up a scientific study at the Kenya Medical Research
Institute (Kemri) with a view to developing a scientific basis for
lobbying against the restrictions imposed on the crop in parts of
Europe.
The task force also
recommended registration of miraa farmers to facilitate target
intervention and eliminate possibility of fraud.
The report says a farmer-controlled agency styled along the lines of similar bodies for other cash crops should be formed.
The establishment
of a Miraa Research Institute and support for research to develop new
miraa products and utilisations is another recommendation.
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