A visiting delegation from China's Shandong province is keen on increasing trade between their country and Kenya.
The 100 strong team that has visited several counties expressed interest in more agricultural imports especially vegetables and fruits and and bringing in more agricultural machinery and farm inputs.
Shandong is one of the largest agricultural provinces in China with a population of 105 million people, 137 counties and 16 cities.
This emerged during the Shandong-Nakuru economy and trade negotiations conference held in Enashipai Spa in Naivasha and attended by local investors.
The deputy director of commerce in Shandong province Lyu Wei said that they are keen to increase their imports from Kenya.
“Last year the 57.8 percent of aquatic and marine products were from Kenya while in return we exported some agricultural products mainly garlic,” she said.
She said they were keen on the quality and safety of imported agricultural products which could be addressed through trainings and exchange programmes.
“In future we will promote Shandong peanuts, vegetables and fruits to Kenya and in return import more Kenyan tea, coffee, avocados and nuts,” she said.
Nakuru Deputy Governor Eric Korir said the county has high agricultural potential and is is keen on partnering with investors.
He said the delegation should also take advantage of industrial parks and ample and available geothermal power to invest in the county.
“Nakuru has been identified as one of the counties with the highest GDP and ease of doing business and we are ready to work with any investor,” he said.
Korir said that the county was fully behind the agriculture sector and pointed to pyrethrum, avocado and dairy as sectors that were keen to fully revive.
“We have already identified five industrial parks in Nakuru and are calling on the visiting delegation to offer our youths scholarships so that they can learn more,” he said.
Nakuru County Agriculture CEC Immaculate Maina said they are keen on avocado growing after the first batch of the frozen produce was exported to China last week.
She said the area is also the home of pyrethrum farming with the capability of producing ten different products and challenged the delegation to take advantage of the ample crop from Nakuru.
“There are many opportunities in the livestock sector and we are in the process of uniting the top ten dairy co-operatives in Nakuru as we address the issue of value addition,” she said.
