KENYA: The Nandi County Government has revived the annual agricultural show and trade fair that offers farmers the opportunity to learn and embrace new production techniques and invest in agri-business.
The show, that had taken a break for nine years, reopened its doors last year.
“The county government revived the Nandi agricultural show last year after a nine-year hiatus. More than 90 exhibitors, including four from the international community, participated in the event that promoted tourism and also enlightened farmers to help them turn agriculture into a mainstream business enterprise,” said Dominic Biwot, the Nandi Deputy Governor.
Biwot, who is also the chairman of this year’s Nandi Agricultural Show and Trade Fair that ended last week, said the annual fete has offered show goers and exhibitors an opportunity to identify the best investment opportunities in the county whose mainstay is agriculture.
Nandi, the county tagged ‘Source of Champions’, is one of the leading producers of tea — the country’s main cash crop. Maize, coffee, sugarcane, dairy, horticulture, tourism and athletics also thrive.
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Governor Cleophas Lagat (pictured left) says: “The county government has provided a conducive environment for investment. We want to create opportunities through value addition to enhance marketing of agricultural products and enhance job creation and improve quality of life for residents.”
“We need a tea agency that can assist farmers in adding value, packaging and marketing the end products directly from local factories to the foreign market. This will bring to an end the reliance on marketing brokers at the Mombasa auction who earn hefty sums of money at the expense of farmers,” said Lagat.
He added that there was a need to customise local products to meet the demands of varied foreign markets.
Lagat says the county show is part of a plan to identify and brand local products in a bid to promote them to access local and international markets for wealth creation.
