The economic stimulus program for small-scale farmers got some heat a few weeks ago when Nation Media House unearthed the smuggling of fertilizer targeted to alleviate small-scale agriculture in Kenya. This week the same media house identified some positive things ongoing with the program, rice farmers from Budalangi, Western Kenya have benefited from an irrigation scheme. Although this has been very beneficial the importation of rice from other nations like Pakistan have caused low prices to downplay the bumper harvest experienced by rice farmers. The government needs to have proactive trade policies that are responsive to agricultural production in the country. Where when domestic agricultural output is high presumably in the rainy season protectionism is high to and when agricultural output is low, low barriers to agricultural trade should follow.

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