Farmers called upon to embrace new technology in agriculture

Exhibition 

Four Principal Secretaries from different departments visited an Agricultural Exhibition show in Mwea, Kirinyaga county where they called on the farmers across the country to embrace new agricultural technologies in their farming.

Led by the PS for forestry and environment, Gitonga Mugambi, who was the chief guest at Mwea Agitech 2024 Agricultural Exhibition, they expressed their gratitude to the organizers of the event saying for the farmers, it is an eye opener to the emerging technologies in terms of agricultural activities.

Gitonga noted farming, like many other sectors has been changing with the coming of technology and called upon farmers to move with technology for best results of their work. The PS encouraged investors dealing with perishable produce to join hands and come up with factories to process farmers’ perishable produce to eliminate post-harvest loss, adding that the value chain created between the farmer and the market will create more job opportunities.

Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho echoed Mugambi’s sentiments noting that his department is committed to ensuring proper irrigation practices.  Kimotho said there has been a lot of development in terms of irrigation agriculture saying Mwea acreage on irrigation has risen from12,000 acres to 30,000 acres over the last few years and more is being done to increase to over 40,000 acres soon.

PS Gitonga said as a state department, they are looking for ways to partner with different entrepreneurs so as to support the small scale farmers. Higher Education PS Dr Beatrice Inyagala said it is high time for youth to focus on the development of agriculture even at college level saying currently only 2.5% of the programs offered at Kenyan universities have agriculture courses.

Yara East Africa CEO William Ng’eno said Over 5,000 agriculture stakeholders congregated at the Agitech Expo noting that there is a lot of improvement compared to last year’s Expo at the same place. Ng’eno said the theme of the event “The Use of Smart Technologies in Scaling up Agricultural Value Chains from Seed to Market,” will give an opportunity for diverse exhibitors to showcase advanced agricultural innovations that boost productivity, sustainability, and farmer empowerment.

He said over the years, Kenya’s agricultural sector has been transforming rapidly due to increased demand for food security, climate resilient practices, and technologically driven entrepreneurship but recently the Government policies have favored smart technologies in scaling up the agricultural value chain, especially within crop production, livestock management, and access to markets.

 “Digital platforms, precision farming, and climate-smart practices have also reshaped how Kenyan farmers manage resources, optimize inputs, and access markets,” said Yara CEO. Ng’eno also said Yara Kenya being among leading crop nutrition solutions providers in the region, are participating in the Agitech Expo through supporting the attendance of over 500 farmers drawn from 11 counties.