Search for best post-harvest technologies kicks off
Ms Veni Swai Senior Programme Officer at Friedrich Naumann Foundation, East Africa and Leonard Mwasi, Programme Manager, ITIC 2018 during the launch of the ITIC-2018 competition. PHOTO|COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The annual competition dubbed IREN Technologies and Innovations Challenge-2018 (ITIC2018) organised by Inter Region Economic
- Network in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation targets 13 counties that form Kenya’s Lake Region Economic Bloc.
Young innovators bordering the lake region are urged to apply for a regional tech competition that advocates for affordable post-harvest technologies among smallholder farmers. The annual competition dubbed IREN Technologies and Innovations Challenge-2018 (ITIC2018) organised by Inter Region Economic Network in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation targets 13 counties that form Kenya’s Lake Region Economic Bloc.
They are Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kericho, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nandi, Nyamira, Siaya, Trans Nzoia and Vihiga. The entries are eligible for individuals aged 18 years and above who reside in the Lake region economic basin counties and have attained at least secondary school education. Application closes by the end of this month.
The entries are done online on- https://younginnovatorsinagribusiness.com/
“The ITIC 2018 has been structured to produce and showcase home-grown solutions that can be easily adopted by communities to help solve food security challenges,” said Leonard Mwasi, Programme Manager, ITIC 2018.
Horticulture fair set for june
The annual International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTEX), will this year feature Fresh Produce Africa (FPA) exhibition, a new fair designed to focus exclusively on the specific needs of the Kenyan fresh produce sector.
The exhibition which will run from June 6 to 8 at the Oshwal Centre in Nairobi, will showcase the country’s potential in fresh produce production and hence attract more growers to the sector, according to Dick van Raamsdonk, the general director of HPP International Exhibitions Group, the events’ organisers.
“The FPA exhibition basically targets to bring the global consumers of fresh produce to the products’ producers (growers), and in effect give them the insight into how these crops are produced,” said Mr van Raamsdonk.
According to him, the flower industry has even more competition compared to fresh produce sector, in the Kenyan context, the more reason why growers should venture more into the business of growing fresh produce. “For a long time, the flower industry has overshadowed fresh produce in many aspects. This exhibition will thus strive to uplift the status of other fresh produces such as vegetables, herbs, fruits such as avocados and even tubers,” he said.
– Brian Okinda
