Biotechnology R&D to Benefit from Direct State Funding in Kenya

Kenya’s government recognizes the significant role that agricultural biotechnology can play in reducing poverty and improving the country’s food security situation. According to the 2007/2008 Budget speech, the Minister for Finance Amos Kimunya has increased the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget by 20 percent, from Shs 24.9 billion to Shs 29.8 billion (US$1= Shs 66), partly to fund biotechnology research and development aimed to increase food productivity and self-reliance.

The promotion of agricultural productivity and rural development for poverty reduction is central to the realization of a hunger free society, one of the Millennium Development Goals. “In this context, the Government will continue to implement a wide range of structural reforms aimed at improving efficiency and productivity in the sector,” the minister said, adding that those reforms will be targeted towards encouraging value-addition in agro-processing and making agriculture the catalyst for our economic transformation and prosperity. More specifically, the government has promised to transform key agricultural institutions into complementary and high-performing entities that facilitate private sector agricultural productivity and output expansion; facilitate access to input services for farmers and pastoralists in Kenya to achieve world class benchmarks in productivity, and improve market access for small holder farmers by facilitating the establishment of aggregators, processing, packaging and branding of agricultural export products.

In addition, the Ministry of Science and Technology, working together with the private sector players, will implement a comprehensive science and technology strategy to promote efficiency and productivity in the key priority areas of agriculture development, expansion of infrastructure; healthcare and education delivery; and industrial production. Towards that end the government has allocated Shs 200 million (US$3m) to establish an Endowment Fund for innovation and research, as part of deliberate efforts to promote science, technology and innovation for higher productivity.

For more information contact ISAAA AfriCenter at: d.otunge@cgiar.org