The Ambassador said China has a big population of over 1.5 billion population compared to Kenya and the issue of food insecurity is a thing of the past. He was speaking at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) during a ceremony to hand over a Kenyan maize variety that increases productivity by 50%.

Zhou, however, said the cooperation between China and Kenyan researchers is a milestone in the backdrop of biting food insecurity in the country and the region occasioned in part by the impacts of climate change. He said if the government invests in the technology that has seen China come out of the bondage of hunger, Kenya could be saved on matters of food security.

JKUAT vice-Chancellor Professor Victoria Wambui Ngumi said the university was keen on collaborating with China in sharing the techniques used to increase the productivity of the crops and how the technology can benefit Kenyans. Professor David Mburu, a researcher at JKUAT university, however, said the National and county governments should put more emphasis on agriculture by applying technology if Kenya is to disentangle itself from food insecurity.

Mburu said farmers should not be left to make decisions on what to plant on their own but should make use of experts and extension officers for advice. Professor Robert Wahiti Gituru who is the founding director of SAJOREC Sino Africa Research Centre in Jkuat encouraged farmers to use technology for high production.

from NTV Kenya