Agro input dealer Elgon Kenya has pledged to establish an agricultural technology and innovation center at the University of Nairobi, UoN to train and nurture students.

The agriculture hub will be built at UoN’s Kabete campus.

Elgon Kenya managing director, Dr. Bimal kantaria, said construction would kick off before March 2022.

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Elgon Kenya

Over the last century, Elgon Kenya has forged a solid position in the agriculture sector. When farmers Elgon Kenya, they gain years of experience and expertise. Elgon Kenya are leaders in sectors such as Floriculture, Cereals, Seeds, Tea and coffee.

History

Some 120 years ago, the seeds of Elgon Kenya were sown in the dreams of the Kantaria family matriarch at a sawmill business in Redhill, Limuru.

Today we can say the dream has been realized through one of the greatest agri-input companies in East Africa.
Looking back to 1898, we are proud of the journey walked by those before us as we hold the candle through generations.

We have lived through interesting times, moved offices, welcomed new staff, introduced life-changing farming technologies, and made transformative business partners and deals.

The dream has lived on by responding to emerging trends and developing solutions to the challenges in the agriculture sector to remain competitive.
Elgon Kenya celebrates 120 years of formidable drive, passion and unmatched zeal that has won hearts and customers in Kenya and beyond.

The idea

“The idea is to let agriculture students understand the latest happenings in the sector in terms of innovations and bring academia, public and private businesses together,” Dr. Kantaria said when he signed a partnership agreement with UoN’s vice-chancellor, Prof Stephen Kiama.

Prof Kiama said the research center will help address existing challenges in farming.

“The collaborative agreement was born out of the need to foster the culture of innovation and promote resource mobilization for development and commercialization of agricultural products and services,” Prof Kiama said.

Dr kantaria said the facility will also be used to train farmers on modern technologies in agriculture such as

  • drip irrigation,
  • micro-drip pipes,
  • new chemicals,
  • fertilizers,
  • seeds,
  • farm equipment, and
  • types of machinery.

“Other firms will also be allowed to showcase their activities and technologies to farmers and students,” said Dr. Bimal kantaria, who is also the Agriculture Sector Network chairman.

He added that the European Union is willing to bring onboard agricultural specialists to offer training at the center.

He said there was a need for Kenya to embrace digital technologies that help in addressing the challenges facing the sector, among them the death of agri-extension services.

Dr. Kevit Desai, the principal secretary in the state department of the East Africa Community, said 50 percent of the country’s manufacturing sector is agriculture-based, thus there is a need to boost the latter for value addition to continue.

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