AGRICULTURE assistant minister Gideon Ndambuki yesterday said more than 30 million bags of maize will be harvested despite the maize lethal necrosis disease that attacked the crop in the Rift Valley.

Ndambuki said: "I think we are safe as far as food security is concerned." He was speaking during the 45 anniversary of International Centre for Tropical Agriculture at the Windsor Hotel which was attended by leading world scientists.

"The government is working on a plan that will see storage facilities opened in all the counties especially areas often affected by aflatoxin," he said, "and will supply 30 units of drying equipment to farmers."

The National Cereals and Produce Board has started a warehouse receipt system where farmers are expected to deliver their harvest to the board as it continues with fumigation, drying and bagging.

This, he said, will help in the preservation of the harvest for a small fee in relation to the amount the farmers would spend carrying out the preservation process individually.

Ndambuki said Kenya is 2 per cent short of achieving the Maputo Declaration which stipulates that nations must direct 10 per cent of their revenue to agriculture.

CIAT general director Ruben Echeverria said policies, infrastructure and markets are very important in fighting food insecurity in the world.

He said the centre has partnered with many institutions worldwide to carry out research. "The products you see today are a result of investments in research done 10-20 years ago," said Ruben. "We want to continue funding research in the long-run focusing on beans, soil, forages, climate change and livestock," said Ruben.