Kiambu Governor James Nyoro has called on youths and women in the region to venture into agribusiness to create wealth and beat joblessness.
Nyoro said agribusiness has proved to be a lucrative venture that can address the biting unemployment issue among youths and help eradicate poverty in the region once adopted.
The governor spoke on Saturday while officially opening the Kiambu County Harvest Festival, a farmers event organised by the Kenya Climate Innovation Center through the AgriBiz Programme in partnership with Nairobi Farmers Market.
The event saw youth and women in the AgriBiz Programme market fresh farm produce directly to customers at the NFM located along Kiambu Road.
“We are ready to support all agribusiness projects by our youth and women through offering financial support as well as training them on better farming practices to help them maximise on their production which will in turn translate to high income rates,” Nyoro said.
The governor said Kiambu government will engage more partners including KCIC and NFM to promote agribusiness in the county by ensuring farmers get ready market for their products.
“My administration is committed to bring back agriculture to its position of creating employment, enhancing food security and improving people’s livelihoods. We will continue to work with strategic partners like KCIC and NFM to make this a reality in Kiambu county,” he said.
He said the county government will assist farmers adopt and develop value addition technologies for their products to enable them fetch better prices in the markets.
KCIC chief executive Dr Edward Mungai said the Harvest Festival was aimed at bringing together farmers, traders, service providers, stakeholders, and other players across the various value chains located within the Kiambu business hub and county, to create market linkages among them.
“One of the main business challenges faced by micro small and medium enterprises and start-up businesses is access to markets and the creation of sustainable and strategic marketing networks. As part of the programme objectives, KCIC, through the AgriBiz program, seeks to create, facilitate, and foster market linkages for its clients. The festival is a step towards achieving this goal,” Mungai said.
He noted that the AgriBiz programme will continue holding such events across the country with an aim to promote networking opportunities between farmers and markets.
“We are creating a culture where agripreneurs will supply food directly to consumers. This is the definite meaning of farm to fork because side-sellers are eliminated and the consumer also gets to buy farm-fresh and traceable products,” he said.
Danish Ambassador to Kenya Ole Thonke who graced the event said the AgriBiz Programme is designed to identify appropriate entry points for youth and women along agriculture value chains, noting that they face challenges in accessing agribusiness opportunities.
“We must acknowledge that youth and women face special challenges in accessing business opportunities in agriculture. Unlocking these economic opportunities is critical to strengthening the sustainable agricultural sector and food security that will result in job creation and increasing incomes,” Thonke said.
NFM general manager Jeff Mundia said, “The Harvest Festival is a great way to support local farmers and businesses. It is also another great opportunity, on top of shopping at the stores, to get some fresh fruits and vegetables and locally raised meats, farm-fresh eggs and a variety of fresh produce from over 60 local farms that will be present at the festival.”
The AgriBiz Programme that is funded by the European Union and the Danish Government to a tune of Sh5.1 billion, aims at benefitting 2,400 women and youth in Kenya and create over 17,000 jobs in the next five years.
-Edited by SKanyara
