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Food makers want more crops processed in Kenya before export
At FoodPro East Africa in Nairobi, the Industry PS and manufacturers called for adding value to farm produce locally, with lower taxes, simpler rules and steadier policies.
Food26%
of Kenya's economy comes from agriculture, the Industry PS said
The first FoodPro East Africa exhibition, run by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, ended on 8 October under the theme "Industrialising East Africa Through Value Addition". Food processing machinery, packaging and production systems were on show, including equipment for peanut butter, avocado and honey.
Industry Principal Secretary Juma Mukhwana said Kenya needs to move from exporting raw farm products to processing more of them locally, noting that agriculture makes up about 26% of the economy. "We cannot become a developed country without manufacturing," he said.
What manufacturers asked for
Former KAM chairman Rajan Shah said manufacturers compete with imports while facing high taxes, heavy regulation, logistics costs and unpredictable policies. "Unless we can compete fairly, we cannot make products that can compete on the global stage," he said, calling for stable policies that encourage long-term investment.
KAM chief executive Tobias Alando said the region should process, package and brand its farm produce before exporting it, and that the real opportunity lies "in what we do with what we produce". Local processing, he said, builds stronger supply chains and skilled jobs.
Why it matters
- Government and industry are making the same case: more of Kenya's crops should leave the country processed, packaged and branded.
- What manufacturers asked for, lower taxes, simpler rules and steadier policy, is what sets the cost of running a food factory here.
- No new government measures were announced at the event.
