The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, chaired by Senator David Wakoli (Bungoma), today continued its county oversight mission, with a visit to the Kenya Seed Company Limited in Kitale. The Committee engaged the company’s Board and Management to discuss challenges and opportunities in strengthening the seed sector as a foundation for national food security.

During the engagement, key issues were highlighted including: the need for budgetary support to replace asbestos roofing, challenges in paying seed growers, and the urgent need to increase acreage under seed production. The Committee emphasized the role of county governments, through collaboration, in availing land for seed production. Senators also noted that seed production is seasonal and delicate, and stressed the importance of expanding irrigation to scale up production.

Other critical concerns included the distribution of adequate certified seed to farmers, the need for concerted efforts to combat fake seeds, and the poor road network to contracted farms, which undermines efficiency. The Committee also expressed concern over the insufficient number of agricultural extension officers, noting the importance of scaling up farmer education.

The Committee was informed that Kenya Seed is owed approximately KES 1.7 billion by both national and county governments, a pending bill that has created liquidity challenges and slowed expansion.

As part of the visit, the Committee toured the seed production fields and processing plant, gaining insights into the process of basic seed multiplication and the role of breeding based on prevailing weather and ecological conditions. The delegation examined the seed certification process and continuous quality assurance measures undertaken in collaboration with KEPHIS, which is mandated to ensure standards are upheld. 

The Committee further noted the importance of protecting indigenous seed varieties and reaffirmed that the central objective of seed research and development is to achieve higher yields per unit of production area.