Australia-Kenya partnerships work towards a food-secure Kenya

The Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture representative, Phineas Nyaga, and Australia’s Head of Mission to Kenya, HE Mr. Geoff Tooth, attended the Australia-Kenya Post-harvest Symposium on 29 October 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was jointly hosted by the University of Nairobi and the University of Sydney.

Post-harvest management of food has been a major challenge in Kenya’s agricultural sector with an estimated losses of 20% to 30% of harvested crops.

The Australian Government supports post-harvest training through providing scholarships, both short- and long-term study opportunities, as part of its broader agenda of maintaining a food-secure Africa.

Speaking while opening the symposium, the Head of Crop Reservists in the Ministry of Agriculture, Phineas Nyaga, said research and training will help realise maximum productivity from the farming sector.

The event was also attended by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, heads of relevant Agriculture departments and agencies in Kenya, scholars from the University of Sydney, the Kenyan academic community, as well as 16 Australia Awards recipients from seven different African countries who are in Kenya attending the final phase of agriculture post-harvest training.