Kenyan growers are turning out to be among one of the unlikely heroes of the current pandemic. The east African nation's food producers have kept the country's food stores full at one of the most critical times, ensuring that citizens do not worry about lack of produce. For the first time in many years, Kenyan farmers have produced food in plenty, making the country rely less on imports from neighbors Uganda and Tanzania.
The country is currently food sufficient, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, thanks to farming enthusiasm that gripped the nation during the pandemic period, boosted by reliable rains between March and May.
Besides the heavy rainfall that hit the east African nation during the March to May season, most farmers benefitted from ready labor offered by their children who returned home at the onset of the pandemic.
A majority of Kenyans who lost their jobs or were sent on compulsory leave following the pandemic turned to agribusiness for a living. For those who farmed, this helped to boost food production of fast-growing crops like tomatoes, onions, capsicums and vegetables. Similarly, those who chose to sell food for a living offered a market for the products making an agribusiness boom.
Source: xinhuanet.com
