Farmers Display Their Produce at The Kiambu County Agri-Business Exhibition.

Kiambu County Agri-Business exhibition come to an end on Friday after a two day long exhibition by farmers drawn from various sub counties within Kiambu at Thika Techincal Training Institute Grounds. The main aim of this exhibition was to offer farmers a platform to network with other farmers and also market their produce.

A view of tents pitched at the Agri-Business Exhibition held at Thika Technical Training Institute.

According to Mrs Purity Mbambu County Agri-Business Marketing Officer for a long time farmers have undergone numerous challenges especially when it comes to marketing their produce as a department we have ensured we assist them to over come this organising such events in a bid to encourage farmers to work together with the Agriculture and Fisheries Dept.
"Farmers need to be empowered,thus the County Government has come up with innovative ways of doing that,key among them is providing women and youth with the Biashara Fund which aims proving capital and credit to support their sgri-business venture, said Mrs Mbambu.

 Speaking to Thika Town Today Geoffery Macharia Maina a strawberry farmer from Gituamba in Mang'u was grateful to the organisers of the exhibition, "I am optimistic that through such events I have been to reach out to new customers and have networked with other farmers," said the retired civil servant and agronomist. For him the sky is never the limit be cause he aims at marketing his products outside Kenya and its through such initiatives by the County Government he knows he can make it.

Some of the end products on display from Macharia's strawberry farm.

 
Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA) an NGO in Kenya whose main focus is to contribute towards poverty reduction through the provision of structured social and resource mobilization training, value addition and market linkage support to access to Micro-finance services.

"We are aware of the numerous contributions that farmers make in the growth of the economy and that is why we have partnered with the County Government of Kiambu in this agri-business exhibition in order to ensure that we have empowered them socially and economically by supporting the creation of sustainable enterprises and jobs,"Rita Ruigi- Hand in Hand Eastern Africa Branch Manager -Thika. 

The NGO was among other exhibitors who had pitched tent at the Thika Technical Grounds, a visit to their tent gave us a clear perspective on how exactly they  carry out their activities.

We met up with Rosemary Ahenda a mother of three who has been working with the organization since its inception where she told us that its through programmes such as the the enterprise development and financial management she was taught how to add value to her work currently apart from doing bead work and crafts she can also make peanut butter and jam after being taught how to do so.

Rosemary Ahenda a mother of three who has been working with HiH EA for the last 3 years displays her produce and products at their tent during the exhibition looking on is HiH EA personnel.

Access to capital and credit is one of the major problems encountered by farmers according to Moses Kibe-Business Development Officer Chase Bank Thika the financial institution has come up with various products and services tailored at assisting the farmer to add value to their farming."We have participated in this agri-business exhibition as an institution in order to offer farmers advice on how best to access credit and a relationship bank the best way to reach out to them is pitching tent here,we are aware of the challenges that they face especially when it comes to accessing capital and that is why we would urge them to seek financial advice from us," said Kibe.