Horticulture gets Sh650m boost from EU
European Union (EU) has granted Kenya €5 million (Sh654 million) to support horticultural sector achieve sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) as required by the export markets.
Under a four-year plan dubbed New Export Trade (NExT), EU aims at increasing the contribution of the horticultural sector to household income.
Deputy Head of Delegation, EU to Kenya, Katrin Hagemann, said this will be achieved through the generation of employment opportunities and foreign currency.
She said to improve food security safety and nutrition there is need to increase the resilience, inclusiveness and sustainability of Kenyan horticultural value chains.
Specific focus
The programme targets the whole value chains with specific focus on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the private and public services that support the horticultural sector
Conceptualised by the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP) in consultation with stakeholders, Hagemann said the NExT Kenya programme is in the context of the European Green Deal -a set of policy initiatives that seeks to make Europe climate neutral by 2050.
Speaking during the digital NExT status event Hagemann reiterated the EU commitment to assist Kenya achieve compliance of horticultural exports to sanitary and phytosanitary standards under the next programme.
“This €5 million programme aims to secure lasting improvement in the capacity of all stakeholders to adapt to evolving sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS), commercial, social and environmental requirements on local, regional and international markets,” she said.
