NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 21 – Farmers and veterinarians are calling for stronger coordination across Kenya’s food value chain to improve market access, food safety and farmer incomes as the 10th AgroFood-Plastpack-Paper Expo opened in Nairobi.
The three-day exhibition, running from August 20 to 22 at the Sarit Expo Centre, has brought together more than 200 exhibitors and trade visitors from over 60 countries, with agriculture, food processing, packaging and manufacturing firms showcasing technologies and products.
Speaking at the opening, Kenya National Farmers Federation membership services official Enoch Mutai said farmers needed to be treated as commercial players rather than simply producers of raw commodities.
“Farmers need to understand market requirements right from production if they are to secure better returns,” Mutai said.
He said farmers should conduct cost-benefit analysis, meet quality standards and build direct market linkages while embracing aggregation, value addition, digitization and traceability.
The Kenya Veterinary Association said stronger coordination was also necessary to safeguard food safety, particularly for animal products.
KVA National Vice-President Ambrose Kipyegon Ng’eno said veterinarians play a central role in protecting consumers and maintaining standards across the food chain.
“We are ready to work with stakeholders across the agricultural and food sectors to strengthen food safety systems,” Ng’eno said.
The push for greater collaboration comes as farmers face rising production costs, changing consumer preferences and tighter food safety and export requirements.
Sri Lanka’s Acting High Commissioner to Kenya, Ruvini De Silva, said stronger economic ties between Asia and Africa could support technology and knowledge exchange.
“Exhibitions such as this provide an important platform to exchange expertise, technology and investment opportunities,” De Silva said.
She said deeper partnerships could help businesses access new markets while facilitating the transfer of agricultural technologies between the two regions.
The expo is showcasing smart irrigation systems, artificial intelligence-powered farm management tools, agricultural drones, automated poultry systems and modern food processing equipment.
Packaging and plastics firms are also displaying recyclable and biodegradable solutions as manufacturers respond to growing demand for sustainable production.
Stakeholders said increased agricultural output alone would not guarantee higher farmer incomes without improvements in storage, processing, packaging, quality assurance, traceability and market access.
The exhibition also features business networking sessions and technical discussions on food security, agribusiness financing, mechanization, climate resilience, export markets and investment.
