Nairobi, 20th February 2024
Green Nairobi County Executive Mr. Ibrahim Auma was amongst eminent speakers at the 7th Edition of Africa Agriculture Expo 2024 taking place at Sarit Centre from19th to 20th February.
Mr. Auma took part in a panel discussion on County perspectives on development prospects and business opportunities in Kenya.
Other panelists were CECM Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Murang’a County Mr. Kiringai wa Kamau, Chief Officer Department of the Blue Economy, Cooperatives, Agriculture and Fisheries Mombasa County Mr. Hamid Shehan and Chief Officer Agriculture and Livestock Homabay County Ms. Ombok Mildred Judith.
Areas of discussion were the role of technology in the knowledge enhancement of Kenya and how diversified agriculture practices has contributed to the overall resilience of Kenya’s agribusiness sector.
The CEC observed how technology can ease operations by enabling information flow amongst stakeholders and expanding access to knowledge and signaling current weather or market conditions to improve climate adaptability. He said Nairobi County majorly relies on technology in farming and that the county has strived to do its best in ensuring food security. He added that through technology, there has been information flow and easy access to market information as well as linking farmers and consumers.
On diversification of agricultural practices, Mr. Auma stressed the need to discourage over relying solely on a handful of cash crops farming.
“The benefits of diversification extends far beyond mere resilience. By cultivating a wide range of crops and livestock farming, we ensure a steady supply of nutritious foods for our growing population, fuel growth of vibrant food processing industry, add value to agricultural production, create employment opportunities across the value chain and increase farm productivity.” Emphasized Mr. Auma.
The First daughter Charlene Ruto and the Senior Deputy Secretary State Department of Agriculture Badu Katelo were among the distinguished guests who attended the expo.
Besides bringing Africa agribusiness into focus to boost agricultural productivity and exploring investment opportunities, the two-day expo also delved into discussions on technology integration, public private partnerships, sustainable and productive transformation in the Agri- food supply chain, irrigation innovations and the significance of mechanization.
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