The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has unveiled the 7th Africa Agriculture Exposition (EXPO) for the year 2024, which will run for two days from February 19th to 20th in Nairobi.
The Expo creates a space where entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and farmers come together to exchange ideas, expand businesses, and share knowledge and technologies that can drive sustainable growth in the agri-sector of Africa.
Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mithika Linturi said that the forum serves as a platform for showcasing, networking, knowledge sharing, and innovations in the agriculture industry and brings together policymakers, investors, agricultural entrepreneurs, and technology providers from all over the world.
In a speech read on his behalf by Senior Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Patrick Atello, CS Linturi highlighted that the theme of 2024 is “Unlocking agricultural potential, which encapsulates the focus on exploring the vast and tapping opportunities in innovative solutions and sustainable practices that can revolutionise the African agricultural sector and connect Africa to global agribusiness.
He added that the agricultural sector continues to play a pivotal role in the economy, contributing 33 per cent directly to the growth of the economy.
“Agriculture in Kenya is large and complex. The micro, small, and medium enterprises can take advantage of exports to source appropriate technology and market linkages that best serve their interests,” advised Linturi.
Also present at the Expo was the First Daughter of Kenya, Ms. Charlene Ruto, who encouraged content creators in the field of agriculture to visit farms, and different people in the value chain process and document agricultural exposition as they shared different knowledge across the platform.
Ms. Ruto also remarked that there is a lot of untapped potential in the youth sector, and while agriculture can and has a positive effect in many countries, it still remains unattractive to young people.
“Many young people view agriculture as an unstable livelihood and are turning towards urban centres to find opportunities. Agriculture is where the young people don’t want to go, yet it is the backbone of our economy,” she noted.
Country Director of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), John Macharia, encouraged farmers to build resilience to climate change issues, the government to climate-proof the national budget to ensure the food systems are fit for purpose and to facilitate dialogue on sustainable farming and fertiliser production.
By Sharon Atieno and Abundance Mutave
