Kenya, China eye Sh272m agribusiness deals at Nairobi forum

L-R:Tito Mutai CEO Agri - Africa Exibition with Guipinf Ding Vie CEO HXIE(Human Hongxing International Exibition during a press briefing on the 2nd upcoming 2025 Africa International Agricultural Expo.[Wilbrforce Okwiri,Standard] Kenya is seeking to diversify its agricultural exports to China in an effort to narrow the growing trade imbalance between the two nations. This comes as the two countries pledged to finalise new agribusiness deals worth an estimated 15 million Yuan (Sh272 million) during the upcoming Africa International Agricultural Expo 2025, to be held in Nairobi later this month. According to Agricultural Innovation and Research Secretary Philis Njane, Kenya is moving beyond traditional exports such as coffee and tea to include high-value crops and processed products like nuts and avocados. "First of all, we've had a very big discussion with the Chinese government, and we are seeing an opening for avocado exports to China. We are also seeing growing Chinese interest in orthodox tea, which many factories in Kenya are now producing in large quantities. These developments present us with an opportunity to expand our market share and strengthen our position in the global agricultural value chain," Njane said. China remains one of Kenya's largest trading partners, but trade relations continue to be heavily tilted in favour of Beijing. In the first half of 2025, Kenya imported goods worth about Sh500 billion from China, while its exports to the Asian giant stood at just Sh4.5 billion. Njane, who spoke ahead of the four-day expo scheduled for October 28-31 at the KICC, said the event offers Kenya a platform to tap into China's advanced agricultural technology while expanding its export base. "We see this as an opportunity for technology exchange and market access. China is a large market, and there's growing demand for products such as orthodox tea and avocado, where Kenya has a clear competitive advantage," she added. Strategic platform Ding Guiping, Vice CEO of Hongxing International Exhibition Company, said over 115 Chinese company representatives will attend in person, alongside official delegations from the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Hunan Provincial Agricultural Machinery Affairs Centre, and the Changsha Municipal People's Government. "The expo will serve as both a showcase for cutting-edge technologies and a strategic platform for China-Africa agricultural dialogue and cooperation. Through exhibitions, business matchmaking, and thematic forums, participants will engage in discussions on sustainable agriculture, agri-product trade, productivity, and modernisation," said Guiping. Organisers believe the expo will not only promote technology sharing and market connectivity but also inject new energy into Africa's agricultural modernization efforts furthering China's "going global" agricultural strategy while advancing Africa's journey toward food security and inclusive growth. AgriAfrica Exhibition CEO and lead organiser Tito Mutai said collaboration with Chinese scientists and agri-tech firms will be key in helping Kenya tackle climate change challenges such as erratic rainfall and declining crop yields.

Kenya, China eye Sh272m agribusiness deals at Nairobi forum

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Kenya, China eye Sh272m agribusiness deals at Nairobi forum

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