Programmes

KAAA CEO and JLianco deputy General Manager Africa Branch Stephan Yuan sing a cooperation for development MOU.

Ministry of industrialization, trade and investment has developed a strategic, comprehensive and integrated programme to guide Kenya on its journey to industrialization – the Kenya Industrialization Transformation Programme (KITP). The programme is guided by Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s economic development blueprint that aims to transform Kenya into a newly industrializing, middle-income country by the year 2030. This is to be achieved by accelerating the development of industries that will drive the country’s economic growth, with agro processing being one of these.

Kenya’s agricultural sector is dominate with primary production with little on-farm and off farm processing. The low level of processing translates into lower incomes received and fewer job opportunities created. Additionally, other countries with a similar profile have higher levels of processing, with only 16% of all exported agricultural output in Kenya is processed; while Tanzania processes 27%, Uganda 34% and Ivory Coast 32%. Doubling the level of processed agricultural exports will boost agriculture, create an additional 110,000 jobs and earn the country an additional USD 600 million.

KAAA is an implementing partner of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives (MOITC) in the agro processing pillar of the Kenya Industrialization Transformation Program (KITP).

News

1. Cotton in Lamu County

The Kenya’s textile and apparel sector has the potential to play a key role in anchoring the country’s deeper movement into middle income status and in serving as a source of gainful employment for its fast growing, young population. Against the…Read More

2. KAAA signs a cooperation for development MOU

The Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance (KAAA) Chief Executive Officer Lucy Muchoki has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a development cooperation with the Jianglian Heavy Industry Co. Ltd (JLianco) of the Peoples Republic…Read More

KAAA training ASDSP officers on investment profiling

Agricultural Sector Development Support Program (ASDSP) is a five-year program started in 2013 under funding from the Governments of Kenya and Sweden. KAAA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Agricultural Sector Development Support Program to promote the participation of private sector in the development and commercialization of agribusiness value changes.

KAAAs mandate under the project include identifying and analysing investment opportunities along selected value chains, enhancing capacity of stakeholders at the counties to identify and assess investment opportunities, and linking potential investors to identified investment opportunities.

Adding Value to Moringa Oleifera using a solar drier

The overall objective of Switch Africa Green is to support 6 African countries to achieve sustainable development by engaging in transition towards an inclusive green economy, based on sustainable consumption and production patterns, while generating growth, creating decent jobs and reducing poverty.

In Kenya, the program has a component targeting Business Member Organization (BMOs) and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt Sustainable Consumption and Production practices (SCP) and transform these entities from their traditional orientation to a green business focused one and increase their local and international competitiveness in trade and investments. KAAA is an implementing partner in the Switch Africa green program

News

1. Green Business Development and Eco entrepreneurship in Agriculture

Rapid population increase brings with it growing demands for food, water and energy. This increase will bring with it growing demands, further testing the resilience of social and environmental systems in our increasingly resource constrained…Read More

2. Meet Maisha Bora Enterprises

Maisha Bora Enterprises is a self help group located in Tinganga ward in Kiambu County that grows and processes bananas into flour and banana crisps. Their core activities are economic & social empowerment and promoting local farmers…Read More

3. KAAA Conducts “Go Green” Workshop

KAAA was privileged to facilitate a two day training that covered areas around the Switch Africa Green Program. The project is an initiative by the EU and Unops. The training covered the areas of operational efficiency, green marketing, financial…Read More

4. Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth

Aska Kerubo is not just your ordinary woman but is a banana processor pioneer and an award winner from the Kisii County. Nyangorora Banana Processors is a member SME of KAAA that was registered in 2006 and is a company that grows and processes…Read More

5. Switch Africa Green (SAG)  Post Evaluation in Nyandarua County

Being a key partner under the 3-Year Switch Africa Green (SAG) Project, The Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance (KAAA), through its 3 officials made a follow-up visit on 8th November to evaluate the effectiveness of the TOT session that had been conducted earlier to 2 MSMEs located in Nyandarua County; Shauri Women Group which undertakes potato processing for crisps and other by-products while the Nyaga Women Group which undertakes milk processing for yogurt. The two enterprises are self-help groups comprised of solely women…Read More

6. Solar drying of fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables should be dried in times of plenty and preserved for leaner times. However, new technologies brought changed techniques and at present, the increasing demand for healthy, low-cost natural foods and the need for sustainable income, are bringing solar drying to the fore as a useful alternative for surplus products…Read More

KAAA CEO signing an MoU with Kilifi County Government o establish a food park

A food park is a concentrated agro-industrial estate cluster which is mainly focused on value addition/agro-processing services of food products. Food parks support agri-business development (in food commodities) especially small and medium enterprises by provide networks of contacts between producers, markets and processors, as well as the physical infrastructure required for the transforming industries. Food parks also support agro-industrial development by enhancing access to raw materials and marketing facilities and other support services and enhance competitiveness for the chain actors through improved efficiency and reduced operational costs.

The Agro Food Park Scheme is a flagship program of KAAA that proposes a demand driven/pre-marketed model with strong backward/forward linkages and sustainable supply chain. The primary objective of the program is to focus on value addition and agro processing as a whole. KAAA will facilitate establishments of integrated value chain, with processing at the core and supported by requisite forward and backward linkage especially to SMEs in various counties in Kenya. The Food Parks will be have facilities such as Production, Processing Plant, Cold Store, collection centers & Transports, besides this it will also facilitate the farmers by providing value for their hard work.

News

1. KAAA and Kilifi County government sign a 6 billion deal to support small scale farmers

The Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance (KAAA) and the County Government of Kilifi have signed a 6 billion investment deal which is set to benefit over 2000 small scale farmers at the coastal county. The deal will see the construction of…Read More

2. KAAA and IL&FS sign agreement

The Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance (KAAA) and the IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Ltd have entered into a collaboration agreement aimed at identifying various areas of collaboration and preparation of business plans for…Read More

3. Contract to Establish a Fruits and Vegetable Agro Food Park in Kilifi County is Signed

The County Government of Kilifi (CGK), Jiangxi Jianglian International Engineering CO LTD (JLIANCO) and Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance Limited (KAAA) have signed a contract to establish the Kilifi Agro Food Park in the coastal county….Read More

Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Dr. Richard Leresian Lesiyampe at the KAAA cotton stakeholders forum

Micro, small, and medium agribusiness enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in agro-industry by contributing significantly to the total value addition. However, the MSMEs continue to face unique challenges that have reduced productivity and efficiency. Improving the performance of the enterprises require supportive business and regulatory environment.

Building on existing business and regulatory framework, KAAA is setting up an SME Platform to support the development of commercially viable agribusiness enterprises in Kenya. Enhancing value addition will reduce post harvest losses as well as contribute towards moving Kenya a middle-income country by reducing the contribution of agriculture to GDP at the expense of manufacturing and services.

News

1. Factors which cause the failure of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) propel the engines of many African economies but in some countries they have shown zero success due to the many challenges they are facing. In Kenya for instance, the SMEs are easy to start because citizens…Read More

2. Agriculture for Economic Transformation

The African Center for Economic Transformation has launched its agriculture chapter and Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries will serve as its champion towards enabling other chapter members realize their goals of furthering…Read More

Honourable Ali Wario, Member of Parliament, Bura planting cotton seed at the launch

Cotton is an industrial crop in Kenya that provides raw materials for manufacture of textile and apparel products and was a major source of income for small-scale farmers engaged in its production in the nineteen sixties and seventies. However, production drastically reduced in the last two decades due to a number of factors.

The enormous market opportunities presented by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the African, Caribbean and PacificEuropean Union (ACP-EU) under the Cotonou Agreement have rekindled interest in the revival of this industry. The Bura and Hola irrigation schemes in Tana River County were established to produce cotton as the raw materials for textile industry, with the two schemes catering for approximately 40% of the national total production in the mid eighties. In spite of the near total collapse of the cotton value chain in the region, both schemes still maintain the entire cotton production and processing infrastructure.

It is against this background that a team of technical experts from the Kenya Agribusiness and Agro-industry Alliance (KAAA), Ministry of industry, enterprise and industry, Rivatex, Kitui ginnery, Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC), Fibre Crop Directorate (FCD) and the National Irrigation Board (NIB) were mandated by the Ministry of industry, investment and trade to revive the cotton sector in the Bura and Hola Irrigation schemes.

News

1. Cotton farmers to receive Hybrid seeds

Lack of quality seeds and poor prices have contributed to low cotton production in Kenya and the collapse of the local textile industry. However, cotton farmers at Bura irrigation scheme will soon have access to hybrid certified seeds, thanks to…Read More

2. Government’s revival of the Cotton Industry at an advanced stage

The Government has put in place elaborate measures to inject life into the ailing cotton industry. The latest initiative, which is meant to ensure cotton farmers produce quality cotton lint for better returns, will also see an upgrade of…Read More

3. Hope for cotton farmers after a new deal is signed

Cotton farmers at the Bura settlement scheme are set to benefit from a contract that was signed with an aim of reviving the once vibrant sector. The contract will see Meru Ginnery purchase its primary cotton supply of seed cotton from Bura…Read More