NAIROBI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's agriculture ministry said Thursday it has embarked on data collection on farming to help improve agricultural productivity.

Mwangi Kiunjuri, cabinet secretary for agriculture, livestock, fisheries and irrigation, said the move has been necessitated due to lack of proper data on the agricultural sector.

"We have started registering farmers countrywide so that we may know their exact number and acreage of land that they own," Kiunjuri said during a sorghum forum in Nairobi.

The data is expected to help inform on soil fertility levels in all parts of the country and offer information to farmers on what fertilizers to use and what seeds to plant, Kiunjuri said.

"The data will help us know the root cause of problems that has led to low performance of the agricultural sector," he added.

Kiunjuri said the data, which will be used to spur growth of the sector, will be unveiled and disseminated to farmers in the middle of next year.

The government has formed a cereal enhancement program to look at the quality of seeds, introduce drought-tolerant and early-maturing seed varieties, he said.

Kiunjuri noted that the government is considering introducing contract farming in the country to save farmers from suffering food wastes.

"We are working on blending of maize, sorghum and cassava flour in one packet to help reduce over-reliance on maize and help reduce malnutrition in the country," he added.