Food storage on the agenda as regions plan investor forum

What you need to know:

  • Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Busia, Kericho, and Nandi, which have been working on how to ease trade in agricultural commodities, are among the counties that will participate.
  • The participants include agro-based companies, logistic firms, banks, insurers, private equity funds, universities, county officials and civil society organisations.
  • The majority of the region’s population depends on natural resources and subsistence agriculture for a livelihood.  The bloc hopes to encourage the regions to specialise on their strong areas and open markets for each other’s produce.

Investment in value addition, logistics and storage for agricultural produce tops the agenda as western Kenya counties prepare for a symposium of farmers, financiers and investors.

Sixteen county governments keen on attracting the bulging young population to farming will attend the meeting, which will be held at Kisumu’s Tom Mboya Labour College from September 24 to September 27.

More than 500 delegates from public and private sectors expected to attend will seek ways of engaging counties and the national government to promote agriculture-focused policies. 

The forum is expected to push for public-private partnerships and investment in areas that will boost incomes of millions of small-scale farmers who are the bulk of the region’s poor.

“The Western Kenya Agribusiness Exchange will, among other things, facilitate structuring of joint initiatives, including public-private partnerships and external financing”, planners said.

EASE TRADE IN AGRICULTURE

Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Busia, Kericho, and Nandi, which have been working on how to ease trade in agricultural commodities, are among the counties that will participate.

Under the theme, “Unlocking Agribusiness Potential of Lake Victoria Trading Bloc”, the symposium seeks to explore financing models for value chains; review policies to boost commercial farming and open regional markets for farm produce.

The participants include agro-based companies, logistic firms, banks, insurers, private equity funds, universities, county officials and civil society organisations.

Firms from India, China, Latin America and the US have been invited to showcase agribusiness innovation that suit local conditions.

The Lake Victoria Trading Bloc is a market of more than 120 million people living in 16 counties in Kenya and bordering parts of Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and South Sudan.

The majority of the region’s population depends on natural resources and subsistence agriculture for a livelihood.  The bloc hopes to encourage the regions to specialise on their strong areas and open markets for each other’s produce.

Through partnership with governments, it hopes to boost access to input and more resources for irrigation, climate change mitigation and other farmers’ needs.