KENYA – The Israeli government has confirmed its interest in investing heavily in the Kenyan agricultural sector that is yet to be fully exploited.
The investment in the country will be through structured private-to-private arrangements with the support and facilitation of the two governments.
In Kenya, government data indicates that the agricultural sector contributes over 33 percent of the gross domestic product, employs 40 percent of the population, and accounts for 65 percent of the country’s export earnings.
In the arrangement discussed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi with the Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Ditcher, the private sector investors will be allowed to invest billions in thousands of hectares and export the produce through a private arrangement in a possible 25-year deal.
“This is a private-private arrangement which will only be guaranteed by the two governments through giving necessary logistics and a conducive environment. The biggest catch for Kenyans is the thousands of jobs that would be created by the private sector once the Israeli investors come in,” said Mudavadi.
In the meeting, Mudavadi and Ditcher discussed cooperation between Kenya and Israel in the field of Agriculture. Israel is interested in entering partnerships with Kenyan farming entities involved in wheat production.
“The partnerships would be structured along private-to-private arrangements with the support and facilitation of the two governments – Kenya and Israel.,” said Ditcher.
Ditcher noted that the country’s agricultural sector offers significant opportunities due to the presence of large tracts of arable land coupled with the rising population.
The agriculture minister added that their farmers and firms had developed technology that will enable Kenya to achieve food production with minimal use of water and soil resources.
“Israel is a leader in precision agriculture that involves the use of drones, sensors, and farm management software to boost farmers’ yields. We want to invest this in Kenya through our investors,” said Ditcher.
Already, Granot International Company, one of the biggest producers and packers of avocados officially has launched its operations in Kenya. Granot operates the largest avocado packing house in Israel and produces one-third of Israel’s total avocado yield.
The company planted 55,000 avocado trees with an ultimate target of 300,000 on a 400-hectare farm. The farm is in Ndabibi, Naivasha, in Nakuru County.
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