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Last Updated: 9/6/2008
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The government has received donor funding to the tune of 8 billion Kenyan shillings to alleviate the food shortage currently being experienced in several parts of the country.
Agriculture Minister William Ruto says the emergency funds will be disbursed in the next three months to counter the effects of the food shortage.
Ruto says the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) will donate close to 2.4 billion shillings for the purchase of fertilizers, livestock feed and vaccine as well as purchase and development of a new variety of seeds.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) will fund the school-feeding programme to the tune of 5.1 billion shillings.
The Minister said the Kenyan government would budget a further 5 billion shillings to import 3 million bags of maize, and another 2 billion shillings for the purchase of fertilizers.
Ruto however noted that funding and importation of food are not the solution to food insecurity.
He said the government is focusing on irrigation in arid areas, which constitute 80 percent of Kenya's acreage to stop over reliance on Rift Valley as the breadbasket of the country.
Ruto was speaking during a press briefing on the upcoming FAO 25TH Africa regional conference to be held next week in Nairobi.
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