NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 – The government targets to increase agricultural mechanization to over 50 percent of Kenya’s arable land by the year 2029.
According to the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS), the use of simple to complex machines in the agricultural sector in the country stands at 30 percent of arable land.
Speaking during the launch of three variants of Mahindra tractors, Principal Secretary for the State Department of Agriculture Paul Ronoh revealed that the government will continue supporting farmers to access machinery services to enhance production.
“Most farming activities are practiced by 4.5 million smallholder farmers with low levels of agricultural mechanization. The government will continue supporting farmers to access machinery services to enhance production and productivity of priority value chains under the Agriculture Pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation,” stated PS Ronoh.
He affirmed that farmers have been facing challenges in accessing agricultural machinery and equipment, noting that the ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture will increase food production across the country through mechanization.
“As we launch this equipment, I am informed that Mahindra tractors will now be available in the country in three variants, namely the Mahindra 2025, Mahindra 6075, and Mahindra 9200, offering 25 HP, 75 HP, and 92 HP, respectively,” said PS Ronoh.
The tractors will be available at Simba Colt Aspire, a leading distributor of vehicles across six branches located in Nairobi, Kisumu, Narok, Kisii, Mombasa, and Nyeri.
They will also be available at three tractor dealers located in Nakuru, Kericho, and Nairobi counties.
The Ministry has developed the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme, which will help equip identified institutions with relevant agricultural machinery and equipment.
It will also boost infrastructure for irrigation, agroprocessing, the provision of credit facilities, and enhanced drying and storage facilities.
The program is set to be rolled out based on the priority value chains in various institutions, including the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization, the Agricultural Development Corporation, the Kenya Prisons Service, and the National Youth Service.
Others are the National Cereals and Produce Board, the Ten Agricultural Technology Development Centres (ATDCS), and the Agricultural Finance Corporation.
