Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to preside over the official opening of this year’s A.S.K Eldoret National Show. I congratulate the organisers and exhibitors for a job well done.

I encourage participants to take advantage of this show to obtain insights that will help improve agricultural productivity in our country.

The theme of this show “Driving Agribusiness in Attaining Food Sufficiency and VISON TWENTY THIRTY” is consistent with our commitment to attaining food security for all Kenyans. I urge farmers and investors to increasingly focus on agribusiness as the take off point of our industrialization strategy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year, we are opening the Eldoret Show against the backdrop of erratic weather patterns. As will be recalled, we experienced prolonged drought spells that caused massive food shortages in the last few years. We are also experiencing an early onset of the long rains. We must, therefore, do all that is in our powers to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure the food security of our people. However, the challenges of climate change calls for the concerted efforts of all Kenyans. It is for this reason that the Government recently announced that all farmers should devote 10 per cent of their farms to the planting of trees. I urge farmers to support this initiative so that we can be able to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Food security remains a priority objective of the Government. We are, therefore, taking short and long term interventions to ensure adequate food production in the country. In this regard, the Government is taking measures to ensure improved seeds and other farm inputs are affordable and easily available to farmers across the country. During the short rains, for example, the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, distributed assorted seeds and planting materials at a cost of 1 billion shillings. This province received a total of 619 metric tons of assorted seed valued at 72 million shillings. We thank God the rainfall has been moderate in these areas and the harvests were good. In addition to seeds, the Government has continued to avail fertilizers at affordable prices to farmers. This service will continue during the coming long rains. Fertilizer prices through the National Cereals and Produce Board will be as follows:

Ø 2,000 shillings for D.A.P.,

Ø 1,400 for C.A.N.,

Ø 2,000 for N.P.K., and

Ø 2,200 for M.A.P.

The Government will upscale other programmes such as National Accelerated Agricultural Inputs Access Programme to benefit about 175,000 small scale farmers. These farmers will access seeds and fertilizers worth 800 million shillings. This will increase maize production by 3.5 million bags valued at about 7 billion shillings. Farmers should take advantage of these improved services to enhance agricultural production.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Rift Valley Province is endowed with an enormous potential for the production of a wide range of crop varieties and livestock species. This Province is the grain basket of our country producing about 50 percent of the maize produced nationally. As you all know, maize remains the staple food for the majority of Kenyans. Despite adverse climatic conditions, this Province produced 16.8 million bags valued at 38.9 billion shillings. To promote maize production, the Government has benchmarked maize prices in the country with a view to improving returns to farmers. I urge farmers to ensure proper storage of their produce and refrain from selling maize to unscrupulous middlemen. I advise farmers to make use of Government facilities such as National Cereal and Produce Board. Currently the board is purchasing maize in the South Rift at 2,300 shillings per 90 kilogramme bag. The board will also begin purchasing maize in all parts of the country, including at the Hola and Bura irrigation schemes that are having their first bumper harvest in a generation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tea is also an important crop for this region. Last year, this Province produced 150 million kilogrammes of tea worth 17 billion Shillings. In order to support production of tea, the Government has initiated construction of eight additional tea factories in this province. I, therefore, urge farmers to avoid selling green tea leaf to illegal marketing agents so that these factories are utilized to full capacity. I am happy that tea factories have started to diversify their products to include other types of processed teas in order to improve net earnings.

Turning to horticulture, the industry has demonstrated sustained growth despite the stringent demands from our leading market destination. Export earnings grew from 57 billion shillings in 2007 to 74 billion in 2008. This region has high potential for production of various horticultural crops due to its favourable weather and good soils. In 2008 this province earned 30 billion shillings from horticulture from the domestic market alone. We will continue to support farmers in this sub-sector in order to tap the huge potential that exists in this Province. In this regard, I am pleased to announce that the Government has initiated two horticultural projects in the Province. These are: Small-scale Horticulture Development Project and Smallholder Horticulture Marketing Project.

Both projects will cost 4 billion shillings. I advise farmers to double their efforts to take advantage of these initiatives.

Besides horticulture, the Rift Valley Province is endowed with the production of milk and beef, among other livestock products. Last year, for example, the province sold milk worth 9.5 billion shillings. Farmers further earned 20.5 billion shillings from sales of assorted livestock. I am aware that farmers are facing challenges with milk marketing mainly due to limited processing capacity at the New KCC and other players. I want to assure farmers that the Government is doing everything possible to solve this problem in the shortest time possible. I also advise farmers to form strong co-operative societies to undertake milk processing and diversify dairy products and markets. We must also begin an aggressive campaign to sell Kenyan milk abroad, an initiative the government will fully support.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To help farmers access markets, the Government recognizes that the cooperative movement has contributed immensely to the marketing of agricultural produce throughout the country. I am encouraged that this Province recorded an increase in cooperative societies from 885 active in 2007 with a membership of close to 500,000 to 993 active Cooperative Societies with a total of over 514,000 members in 2008. In view of the important role this subsector plays, the Government will continue to provide support to viable cooperative movements. I believe the enactment of the New Sacco Societies Act 2008, will greatly improve the management of these institutions.

Regarding infrastructure, and especially roads, my Government has given top priority to infrastructure development countrywide. In this province, several contracts have been awarded in various districts for road rehabilitation and maintenance. Full rehabilitation of Mau Summit-Kericho-Awasi-Kisumu road is starting soon; while the Lanet-Nakuru-Njoro-Timboroa and Bomet-Litein roads are almost complete. Once completed, these roads will open up huge agricultural areas as well as ease transportation of farm inputs and agricultural products to the market in good time.

In conclusion, I wish to state that development of our country will move faster for the good of all, once the new constitution is in place. It is for this reason that I support the Draft Constitution tabled in the National Assembly by the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution Review. It has made tremendous gains for the reform agenda in Kenya. Any few outstanding issues which have been raised by different sectors can be considered through consultations in the National Assembly. I salute the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review for having made possible the Naivasha consensus which has finally resolved key contentious issues that had stood in the way of our new Constitution. I urge Kenyans to support their National Assembly as it debates the proposed new constitution. Let us all prepare to vote in the referendum to give our country a constitution that will best serve present and future generations.

Let us all work to build a united country. Let us resolve that we must work together to create a stable, just and prosperous nation that we can all be proud to call our home. God placed us all in one beautiful country-Kenya. Let us cherish and guard it and bequeath future generations one strong nation of prosperous and united people.

With these remarks, it is now my great pleasure to declare the TWENTY TEN A.S.K. Eldoret National Show officially open.

Thank you and God bless you all.