The Horticultural Crops Directorate ( HCD) which was formerly known as Horticultural Crops Development Authority (‘HCDA’) was established under the Agriculture Act, Chapter 318 of the Laws of Kenya, through Legal Notice No. 229 of 1967.
The statutory objective of the Directorate is to promote, develop and coordinate the production and marketing of horticultural produce At the time of its establishment, the horticultural sub-sector was seen as a viable solution for the country’s need for cash crop diversification, enhanced food nutrition, income generation, employment creation and foreign exchange earning in addition to providing raw material for agro-processing industries.
The focus of the Directorate at inception was mainly the small-holder farmers who had the potential to utilize their own labour, as the production processes were labour-intensive, with a view to getting high returns for their limited land. The sub-sector has been the focus of most government policies. The Government has developed a National Horticultural Policy that outlines key policy interventions to revamp and reposition the sub-sector
Over the years, HCD’s functions have evolved with the changing Government policies and sub-sector demands. Initially, the focus was on development and marketing, product value-addition, opening up new production areas and markets, undertaking market promotions and marketing produce on behalf of the farmers. However, with liberalization and reduced Government involvement in direct trading, HCD’s role has been re-engineered to regulate, promote, coordinate, develop and facilitate operations of the horticultural sub-sector to ensure smooth production and marketing environment and to advocate for policies that favor investment and enhanced performance of the sub-sector.
