There is need for Kenya Seed Company to expand its acreage for basic seed production to increase food productivity.
The National Assembly Agriculture Committee Chairman who is also Tigania West MP John Mutunga said on Wednesday.
Currently, Kenya Seed Company plants seed on a 7,000-acre farm which is below its capacity.
Mutunga was addressing the press at the firms Elgon Downs farm in Kitale.
This is after leading his Committee which paid a courtesy call to Kenya Seed to check on seed production.
Mutunga said his committee will recommend a donation of an additional 8,000 acres from the ADC for its operations.
“We are impressed with the work of Kenya Seed because it supplies most of the seed within the Ccountry and the region” he said.
He said the Committee is yet to write its report concerning the tour.
He added that some of the issues the firm should correct include quality assurance, ethnic balance at top management and unsound relationships with other stakeholders.
He said his Committee will work with the firm to ensure they are rectified.
This came about after the Nyando MP Jared Okelo questioned why Kenya seed Management had failed to rectify the finding of 2019/2020 auditor General’s report where one ethnic Community held most of key top management positions.
Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi said the Committee is preparing a bill where owners of fallow land will be either forced to practice agriculture, lease or sell for those who want to farm or be taxed by the government on idle land.
Kenya Seed Managing Director Fred Oloibe said his firm targets to produce 40 Million kilograms of maize seed this year.
Oloibe appreciated the government for subsidizing fertilizer prices adding this will help in lowering prices of seeds next year.
“Although the government has subsidized prices for fertilizer, fuel cost is still high. If fuel prices go down, we can reduce prices of our seeds further to reduce the burden on ordinary farmers” Oloibe said.
Okelo praised Kenya seed for making good profits each year saying other government Parastatals and cooperation’s ought to borrow a leaf from the company.