NAIROBI: Kenya has set its eyes on horticultural crops and fruits in a bid to shore up earnings from the export market. Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) acting managing director, Ms Esther Kimani, said according to a survey they undertook, there is a high demand for the produce in foreign markets.
“We want to encourage farmers to venture into fruits cultivation because there is a huge market,” Dr Kimani told Smart Company last week. He said European Union has removed some of the 10 per cent requirements after the country met its standards.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett urged local farmers to shift their focus to horticulture from over-reliance on traditional crops to improve their income and boost the country’s economy. “We want to tell our farmers to plant crops such as macadamia and avocados. The markets for these crops are insatiable. As they maize, farmers need to diversify,” said Mr Bett, when he launched grafted Hass variety of avocado in Kaptel, Nandi County last week. He said that there is a huge market for the crops in the European and Middle East countries.
