DAL Secretary Daniel Kombuk
The Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) is working on a stimulus package worth around K500 million to rehabilitate commodities and enhance livestock.
Secretary Daniel Kombuk said the department would soon meet with the National Executive Council (NEC) for discussions on the package and assistance. Kombuk said funding would be targeted at improving existing commodities to increase production for economic gain.
“Right now, the department is working on some stimulus package for different commodities to go before NEC,” he said.
“It will be to the total of around K500 million for the different commodities such as coffee, cocoa, spices, rubber and for livestock. We will go to NEC for discussions because it requires some support. We are looking at the rehabilitation of coffee and cocoa and others.
“We know that new planting will take time so when you want to have a fast impact, you do rehabilitation. The old trees are already there, we have to rehabilitate so we increase production so we have economic gain.
“So the stimulus package basically will be for the rehabilitation of the existing commodities and also horticultural crops.”
Kombuk said this would help farmers to be able to come into production in a very short period of time and also help bail out the country in the current economic situation. He thanked the Government for its focus on the agriculture sector as an economic driver for the country.
Source: The National, Friday, June 12 2020
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