Farmers to access markets in Ireland

Foreign Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed with Ireland Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney during the official opening of the Irish Embassy in Nairobi on November8, 2017. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The embassy is at Delta House in Westlands, Nairobi.
  • The embassy closed its doors, citing economic reasons.

Farmers will soon be able to export their produce to Ireland at competitive prices in a new five-year agreement signed between the two countries.

The deal, which was inked by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Irish embassy, seeks to among other things, promote trade in farm produce between companies in the two countries, fund research in universities and other institutions as well as improve farming techniques for small scale farmers.

Its signing was in coincidence with the re-opening of the Irish embassy in Kenya, which closed its doors in 1988.

The embassy is at Delta House in Westlands, Nairobi.
Agriculture principal secretary Ntiba Micheni said the partnership will also target cooperatives, farmers groups and individual households.

STRATEGY

“We acknowledge the support we have received from Ireland to improve agriculture and this deal will open up more opportunities for our farmers to export more produce,” he said during the signing of the agreement with Irish Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney.

Mr Coveney said the Ireland-Kenya agri-food strategy 2017-2021, aims to grow trade volumes between the two countries.

The embassy closed its doors, citing economic reasons.

At the reopening ceremony attended by envoys from other Western nations, led by US Ambassador Robert Godec, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said the renewed relations would open more opportunities for trade, agriculture and investment for the two nations.

She noted that Kenya and Ireland enjoy warm and cordial relations that exist as exemplified by growth of investment.