The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) will hold the first ever scientific conference and exhibition at the company’s headquarters from 26th to 28th June 2019.
The theme of the conference will be “technologies and innovations for agricultural transformation, improved food/nutrition security and livelihoods”.
According to the United Nations Economics and Social Council, science and technology will ensure food security in Africa by 2030 as new and existing technologies will raise crop and livestock productivity and improve soil fertility thereby enhancing farmers’ lives.
The conference will provide a forum for sharing breakthroughs and achievements in agricultural research products and service, allow stakeholders to share innovative approaches and strategies for technology transfer for enhancing agribusiness and livelihoods, enhance partnerships and strengthen linkages among stakeholders such as farmers, researchers, exporters, government and the private sector.
It will also cover scientific research findings in areas of innovative technologies in food, horticulture, industrial crops, livestock genetic improvement, disease control and feeds.
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Farmers will get a chance to learn on pre-and-postharvest and value addition technologies for improved local and global competitiveness at a time when they are losing an estimated 1.9m tonnes of food annually according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Of the total food wasted, maize, Kenya’s staple food was the most affected with the country losing Sh29.6bn worth of the crop. Green bananas were the second most affected crop as farmers lost Sh24bn worth of the produce.
Other produce that went to waste due to poor storage and handling, transport, and fungi attack, according to data contained in the 2018 Economic Survey released in April, includes Irish potatoes (Sh19.7bn), milk (Sh12.4bn), beans (Sh11.5bn), ripe yellow bananas (Sh5.6bn), sweet potatoes (Sh3.5bn), tomatoes (Sh2.4bn), pineapples (Sh2.4bn), sorghum (Sh1.9bn), and millet (Sh1.6bn).
According to the survey, Kenya loses approximately a third of its produce yearly through post-harvest losses.
Farmers will also be taught on mechanization along agricultural value chains, improved agricultural service delivery using ICTs, innovation platforms, extension channels, Innovations to increase opportunities for women and youth integration in agriculture, socio economics, policy, marketing and impact of agricultural technologies and private sector and county government involvement in technology uptake.
Farmers who would like to attend/register for the event can contact KALRO on +254-722-206-986 or +254-733-333-223.