Posted on March, 7, 2024 at 09:36 am
The 2024 Eldoret Agricultural Show of Kenya is underway.
The event takes place between March 6-9, 2024 with hundreds of farmers from the Agricultural rich region expected to grace the event.
Besides, research institutions have set up clinics at the showground in a bid to bridge the skills gap in the market.
Susan Seron, the North Rift ASK chairperson, said a number of institutions such as Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) have set up farm clinics at the show for the four day event to enable researchers to assess the challenges faced by farmers at the farm level.
“For the first time, we are having researchers from Kephis who have set up a clinic. We want to encourage farmers to come with the samples of plants with diseases so that experts can test them,” explained Ms Seron.
Last year, 80,000 farmers and 100,000 attended the four day event. The organisers are optimistic they will receive more farmers this year.
The year’s theme of the event is ‘Promoting smart agriculture and trade initiative to foster economic growth’ seeks to promote latest innovations to enable the farmers to improve farm productivity and for the country to attain food security.
According to the organizers, President William Ruto is expected to preside over the official opening of the event on Friday where different exhibitors will be awarded while area Mp Julius Rutto will grace on Wednesday and on Thursday Uasin Gishu County governor Jonathan Bii who is also the patron.
Ms Seron explained that more than 200 exhibitors, local and international, are expected to showcase various innovations to boost yields at the farm level.
“So far we have more than 160 exhibitors, some from Uganda and Tanzania who have set up their exhibition stands. We have many innovations for our farmers in line with the theme of the event and we encourage farmers to turn out in large numbers to learn more about these technologies,” explained the official.
Key stakeholders in the agricultural sector, both public and private, that included Kenya Seed Company, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis), New KCC, Kenya Dairy Board, Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organization (Kalro) have set up their stands and are showcasing various innovations.
Some of the innovations showcased include the push-and-push technology at the Kerio Valley Development Authority stand that enables farmers to control notorious pests such as Fall Army Worms, stoke borer and Striga weed.
“A farmer intercrops Desmodium with cereals, the Desmodium releases chemicals which repels the pests while the Nappier grass are planted on the border in the farm which attracts the pests and kills them hence suppress their population,” explains David Kirembu, a crop agronomist at the KVDA.
John Kangogo, the business development manager at the regional body said that the state agency was keen to contribute to the country’s food security.
“We have these technologies in a number of our projects such as in the Wei Wei irrigation scheme and we are able to train farmers to uptake the same innovations,” explained Kangogo.
Source: Nairobi News