DP Kindiki: Bold and radical reforms have made agriculture more beneficial to farmers over the last four years

Prof. Kindiki revealed that the performance of major sub-sectors has been turned around through targeted implementation of transformative policies and laws that have improved production enabling farmers to earn more during the period.   

“We have made coffee, tea, maize, milk and fish farming more beneficial to farmers. We continue to subsidize production through reducing the cost of farm inputs such as fertilizers and seeds. We are now focusing on animal feeds and soon we will announce measures to reduce the cost of the feeds. Agriculture is relied on by millions of Kenyans. That is why we are making sure we have put in place the right systems that protect and benefit farmers,” DP stated.  

The Deputy President on Wednesday officially opened the Agriculture and Food Security Transformation Summit, 2026 at Jamhuri Park, Nairobi, reiterating the government’s commitment to making farming more lucrative to the farmers.

Farmers, DP added, have also played their part through their willingness to embrace the policies as seen through the enthusiasm displayed in presenting themselves for registration which saw the number of registered farmers go up from 300, 000 in 2022 to over 8 million presently.

“There is evidence of significant progress. Maize production has increased, while maize imports have declined substantially. We have also recorded reduced import dependence in commodities such as rice and sugar. Across strategic value chains, significant increases have been recorded in sorghum, rice, potatoes, avocado and maize production. These gains demonstrate that increased productivity can strengthen both food security and household incomes,” DP said. 

With Agriculture featuring prominently in the administration’s development plan—the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda—the DP stated that the objective remains lifting up the farmer from exploitative production systems and ensuring they are in control of their products and are the biggest beneficiaries.

“Our commitment under BETA was not simply to produce more food. It was to change the economics of farming. We committed to lower the cost of production, increase productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand agricultural insurance and financing, strengthen extension services, move farmers from food deficit to food surplus, reduce food imports, revive export value chains and capture greater value from our agricultural resources,” he indicated.

Owing to this commitment, Prof. Kindiki said coffee farmers have received the highest pay in decades following reforms that have seen their earnings triple from 40 shillings a kilo in 2022 to over 140 shillings the last two years.  

In the dairy sector, the guaranteed minimum return for milk has increased from 37 shillings to 50 shillings per litre, while milk production has increased from 4.6 billion litres to 5.2 billion litres. From this, the dairy export value has shot up from 4.9 billion shillings to 9.4 billion shillings.

Tea earnings have also risen from 138 billion shillings to 181.7 billion shillings.

Enhanced vaccination of livestock has had a positive impact as meat export value has risen from 8.9 billion shillings to 12.9 billion shillings. Fish production has gone up from 173,741 metric tonnes in 2022 to 189,150 metric tonnes in 2025, while the value of production increased from 37.6 billion shillings to 54.9 billion shillings. 

The Deputy President asserted that the clarity in targeted goals in the Agriculture sector and how to achieve them through the BETA plan has made it easier to roll out the reforms that have borne fruits in most of the value chains.

“The wider meaning of BETA is clear. It is about lowering the cost of production, raising productivity, improving household incomes, strengthening food sovereignty, expanding value addition, creating jobs and positioning Kenya to compete in regional and global markets,” DP emphasized.

Looking ahead, Prof. Kindiki said the sector is being further boosted through value addition, digitization and youth participation in a bid to not only sustain high productivity but ascertain the nation’s food security for many years.

In line with this, the construction of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) is being accelerated with 17 set for opening in the coming weeks. The CAIPs are crucial in value addition which is the next lucrative frontier for farmers in the 47 counties.  

“Our milk should become dairy products. Our fruits should become processed foods and beverages. Our coffee should be roasted, packaged and branded in Kenya. Our cotton should become yarn, textiles and garments. Our livestock should generate value through meat, dairy, leather, hides, skins and animal feeds. This is how agriculture becomes industrialization. This is how production becomes jobs. This is how value addition becomes shared prosperity,” DP emphasized.

He also encouraged adoption of smart farming practices noting its benefits as the world moves to invest in digital farming infrastructure for easier and more effective production.  

“The world is moving towards smart farming. I have seen drone technology that helps us to do precision agriculture. That is the future of Agriculture where you apply fertilizer, pesticides to the crop that requires the input,” he said.

Prof. Kindiki also challenged the youth to take advantage of the favorable environment to make a living out of farming saying it is no longer a reserve of old people.