Commercialization of Traditional Food

This was said at an investor forum held at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) complex organized by Farm Concern International (FCI )

The forum was sponsored by stakeholders from both private and public sector.

The objective of the forum was to find sustainable solutions to increase food production and market for cassavas and sweet potatoes.

Mumbi Kimathi, the Director of Strategy and Innovation at FCI spoke at the forum saying “Cassava and sweet potatoes are highly nutritious products that have lacked sufficient support to offer solutions to food insecurity in Africa, especially East Africa”.

The market demand of both cassava and sweet potatoes is estimated at KSH 4.3 billion per year but these have not been fully tapped

During the workshop farmers were told they have not been able to reap heavily from the traditional foods as a result of poor organization, absence of industry-wide integrated value chain, low productivity, and limited information.

By Wamaitha Churu.