The European Union will invest Sh650 million in the horticultural sector over four years to boost the livelihoods of farmers.
New Export Trade programme aims at increasing the contribution of the horticultural sector to household income through the generation of employment opportunities by increasing resilience, inclusiveness and sustainability of Kenyan horticultural value chains.
Speaking during the commissioning of the programme, EU deputy head of delegation to Kenya Katrin Hagemann said they are committed to helping Kenya comply with horticultural sanitary and phytosanitary standards for export.
He said the programme aims to help stakeholders to further adapt to commercial, social and environmental requirements.
“Kenya’s horticultural export trade continues to focus on Europe made up of 27 member states with a population of around 506 million, the largest trading bloc in the world and is looking to develop new destinations in Africa and beyond,” Hagemann said.
Principal Secretary State Department for Crops Development and Agricultural Research Hamadi Boga underscored the importance of such investments in ensuring the competitiveness of Kenyan horticultural products in the global market.
NExT targets the whole value chains with a specific focus on micro, small and medium enterprises.
“A key aim of the programme is to reinforce the capacity of agribusinesses focusing on good agricultural practices, compliance with standards and market requirements, access to markets, market intelligence and access to finance and business skills,” programme coordinator Chagema Kedera said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
