The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Dr. Andrew Karanja paid a visit to the Mutithi grounds, Mwea in Kirinyaga County and interacted with various exhibitors at the Agitech grand Expo 2024. “The innovations exhibited today are a demonstration of how the Kenyan human capital has developed and come of age. This represents the future of the world. We need to collaborate and take these ideas to the commercialized levels,” The CS noted while comparing the Agitech Exhibition with the ASK shows. “The private sector is just in another world in their planning, organising and managing their ventures,” he added.
The theme for the exhibition was ‘The Use of Smart Technologies in Scaling up Agricultural Value Chains from Seed to Market.’ Addressing the exhibitors and visitors, Dr. Karanja said Kenya’s agriculture sector is dominated by smallholder farmers who play a critical role in the nation’s economy and holds immense export potential. “The productivity of the agricultural sector is key to reducing poverty and driving economic growth, making it a central focus of the national agenda and a crucial pillar in the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda,” he added.
In his speech, Dr. Karanja highlighted the importance of agriculture in the country’s economy and how the exhibition is meant to showcase the latest advancements in the sector. He also urged farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices to mitigate the effects of climate change on their farms.
Discussing with delegates at the auditorium, the CS said the government needed to dialogue with the private sector in order to explore the opportunities we have on value addition. He called on the industry players to come out and discuss with the government on the challenges they face as they
carry out this noble calling including policy, taxation, and infrastructure support. Dr. Karanja enumerated the efforts the government has put in place to curtail counterfeit products in the country as well as reduce food imports which currently stands at approximately Kshs. 520 billion. “Do we need to import I metric tonnes of rice, tonnes of wheat and maize or even edible oil?” he asked.
Pointing to those present he said, “you are the solution to this, the government is ready to partner with the private sector” The Expo was also attended by other dignitaries among them several permanent Secretaries, parastatal heads and key industry players. The show patron Dr. Peter Karanja thanked the CS for his visit and said he was ready to partner with the Ministry when called upon.
The expo featured exhibitions by various stakeholders in the agriculture sector, including manufacturers, agro-input suppliers, farmers, agribusinesses, research institutions, and government agencies. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about modern farming practices, new agricultural technologies, and products and services in the agricultural industry.
