National Root and Tuber Crops Development Strategy, 2019-2022.

This policy is formulated within the context of the existing national policies encompassing Kenya's Vision 2030, including the AFA Act 2013, the Kenya Youth Agribusiness Strategy, The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy, the National Seed Policy, the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy and the Potato Strategy 2016-2020. This Strategy, prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries aims to revitalize the root and tuber crop sector. The Strategy highlights the importance of tuber crops as a food source in Kenya, being necessary for both humans and livestock, and their relevance in ensuring food security. The Strategy identifies the issues affecting root and tuber crops within the country to include weak and disjointed value chain leadership structures, weak linkages between partner institutions and legal framework, weak data and management information system for root and tuber crops, weak marketing and market infrastructure, inefficient sustainable quality seed and planting materials production and distribution system, low utilization and agro-processing of root and tuber crops, inadequate research and technology development etc. the Strategy aims to solve these issues by giving priority to the establishment of institutions and stakeholder forums in each county for organized agribusiness support and efficient coordination of the subsector. Specifically, the Strategy aims to establish robust self regulating institutions with diverse linkages to provide agribusiness information and financial services; increase sustainable production by developing, packaging and disseminating demand-driven and climate smart, technologies; increase market access for roots and tuber crops produce and products; mainstream gender, youth, PLWD and environmental concerns at all levels of root and tuber crops value chain development. For its implementation, the Strategy focuses on establishing institutions and linkages for stakeholders, clean seed production and input supply system, undertake marketing analysis, market infrastructure improvements and development of Management Information System.