From simple to the complex, innovations galore at Nairobi ASK show

 

 

Simlaw Seeds Research officer Sarah Kabui explains how to plant seedlings and nature them during the Nairobi 2016 ask show. ON 05/10/2016 PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE

The Nairobi International Trade Fair was a mix of everything. To attract traffic to their sites, the exhibitors — from the universities, to the parastatals to corporates and SMEs — used all creative tactics.

From the colourful and tastefully displayed stands, to clowns at the doors and freebies, some tactics flopped while others worked.

But what really is the magic that attracted huge traffic to a stand? Technology.

Curious onlookers especially the young people were drawn to stands that showcased technology that promised to make farm work easier and more efficient.

And there was technology galore at the trade fair whose theme this year was ‘Enhancing Technology in Agriculture and Industry for Food Security and National Growth.’

Some of the show-stoppers were at JKUAT’s stand which bagged the Best Stand Award. Here, innovator, Allan Ombungu showcased a robot which can do farming wonders.

“Once this idea has been refined, the robot will manage to help in operations like spraying pesticides and in irrigation and surveillance.It will save farmers precious time and labour costs,” Ombungu, a Fifth year student in the Faculty of Engineering says. Another show-stopper was a bio-gas system.

“With this, you can save on gas costs by 50 per cent. The system is simple and a farmer can easily install it on their farm,” says JKUAT’s Godfrey Wanjala.

Other institutions that showcased fascinating technology are Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute and Simlaw Seeds. The trade fair — the largest in the East Africa— offers opportunities for regional, continental and global exhibitors to display their services and products.

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