Government to guarantee farmers’ loans

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THE government says it will offer credit guarantees to farmers who hold 99-year leases and also rope in pension funds to help improve access to financing and in turn boost agricultural productivity.
Though the country is this year anticipating a bumper harvest on account of improved rainfall, it has over the years struggled to produce enough grain to feed itself mainly because of lack of financing.

Permanent secretary in the ministry of Agriculture, John Basera, told a recent public lecture that initiatives to unlock private capital together with the coming on board of the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) would improve the country’s fortunes.