This year’s Agricultural Society of Kenya show in Mombasa will be held during school term, a break from tradition when it was held during the August holidays.
Regional ASK chair Anisa Abdalla said the decision was arrived at after numerous complaints from educationists that learners missed the important show.
This year’s trade fair will take place between September 4 and 8 with the theme being to promote agribusiness, especially among the youth.
“Our children did not benefit much from our shows in Mombasa because they were always at home when the event happens. Since they are crucial stakeholders in this, we decided it is unfair to make them lose out anymore,” Abdalla said.
She spoke during a courtesy call to the Coast Development Authority chairman Mohamed Keinan.
Abdalla said this year’s fair will seek to encourage youth to venture into agribusiness.
“There are no more white-collar jobs. We need to inculcate the spirit of agribusiness into our youth, especially when they are still young, so as to harness their potential,” she said.
She encouraged youths from Mombasa and neighbouring counties to turn up in large numbers. “A number of agribusiness pioneers are set to grace the occasion and our youth will benefit a lot from them.”
She said Coast youths indulged in drugs due to idleness and unemployment.
Abdala urged residents to eke a living from natural resources.
Fisheries, she said, has a huge potential owing to the Indian Ocean, whose potential remains largely untapped.
CDA boss Keinan urged school heads and parents to organise for the children to attend the show and learn from the exhibitors.
Sixty out of 140 invited exhibitors have confirmed participation.
Fewer than 40 exhibitors had confirmed participation by this time last year, Abdalla said.
She noted, “Engaging the children in such activities will help them gain ideas that will help them become ambitious in life.”
The five-day trade fair will be opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta on September 5.
Edited by R.Wamochie
