The Kisumu International Airport has recorded the first export cargo flight which carried fresh produce from the lake region after 13 years since it was upgraded.
Kenya Airways plane carried fresh chilies (16 tonnes) produced from the region to the United Kingdom.
This comes as Kenya airways said they are ready to lift 45 tonnes of fresh produce from the airport with challenges now on farmers.
Kakamega governor and Lake Region Economic Bloc chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, and Kisumu governor Anyang Nyong’o presided over a historic event on Saturday evening.
Oparanya urged counties within the lake region to allocate more funds for agricultural activities to support farmers in producing goods for export.
The counties, he said, should also employ more extension officers for expert advice to farmers. Oparanya further called on farmers to diversify from cane farming to horticultural crops for export.
“We are urging our people to stop over-dependence on sugarcane farming. They should also focus on other crops for export for income generation,” he said.
Nyong’o said the first cargo was brought into reality through a public-private partnership comprising Kisumu Lakefront Development Corporation, Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Airways, Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya and other key stakeholders.
He said the new developments will energise boundless opportunities of horticultural, fisheries and meat products from the region by opening up new markets for farmers.
Nyong’o said the upgrade of the airport to include freight services and cold rooms is long overdue, and the heightened conversation from the stakeholders will go a long way in influencing policymakers and implementers.
“There is a need to rethink agricultural policies from subsistence farming and establish a roadmap towards long-term agricultural production,” he said.
Nyong’o said the cargo facility will not only spur investments and industrialisation but will catalyze job creation leading to sustainable…