What Kenya can learn from Ireland’s success in dairy, food production

A delegation of about 40 Irish investors and top government officials visited Kenya in November. During the visit, the delegation led by Heather Humphreys, the Irish Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation, inked investment deals worth Sh4.8 billion with a number of Kenyan companies.

The deals were in education, construction and financial technology.

Ms Humphreys said the aim of the visit was to, among others, strengthen the bilateral ties between Kenya and Ireland. In an interview with the Business Daily, she explained in details the European nation’s interest in Kenya.

WHY THE IRISH INTEREST IN KENYA, CONSIDERING THAT AFRICA HAS MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES?

Kenya is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa as well as in the East African region. It offers a plethora of opportunities in financial, communication and transportation sectors.

More so, the two countries have forward-thinking economies that focus on development, prosperity, understanding and peace of its people.

In addition, we share a historical relationship in education and religion that spans years.

SO FAR, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU INVESTED IN KENYA?

We currently have a bilateral agreement worth Sh16.8 billion between our two countries and we are looking forward to increase the amount.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GAPS THAT YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE KENYAN MARKET?

Kenya has a lot to offer and we believe there are numerous gaps in various sectors where Irish companies can fill. The void is in agricultural, education, construction and financial sectors where we can provide solutions in terms of technology and expertise.

WHAT CAN KENYA LEARN FROM IRELAND’S DAIRY SECTOR CONSIDERING THAT YOU ARE ONE OF the LEADING DAIRY PRODUCERS IN THE WHOLE WORLD?

Well, we have incorporated technology in our dairy system so that our farmers get indispensable information to enable them improve their yields. The system has allowed farmers to get better output with minimums input.

Adoption of science in the sector is key. We have signed an investment deal worth Sh112.3 million with the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation that will be used to educate dairy farmers in Kenya in forage management, breeding and food processing. We are also working closely with the Kenyan government to share the experience and know-how that will benefit local dairy farmers.

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE YIELD OF AN IRISH DAIRY FARMER VIS-À-VIS THE KENYAN COUNTERPART?

We have about 18,500 family owned-dairy farms in Ireland and they produce around 5,400 billion litres of milk annually. We are in fact the 10th largest dairy exporting nation in the world. We have a strong reputation for producing good quality food in a way that is unrivalled throughout the world.

These are some of the skills that we would like to share with Kenya so that she can be able to produce more in the dairy sector.

HOW HAS IRELAND BEEN ABLE TO BECOME FOOD SECURE AND WHAT KENYA CAN LEARN FROM IT?

We are about 4.8 million whereas Kenya has more than 40 million people. We produce more beef than that we can consume, with our country being the fifth largest beef producer in the world. Moreover, our food production can sustain more than 35 million people yet our population is under five million. Our dairy sector produces about 15 percent of the world’s milk.

Kenya need to abandon the old-fashioned system of agricultural production and instead leverage on technology to enable it grow its food capacity.

HOW DO YOU INTEND TO BALANCE TRADE IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES?

This relationship is not a one-way thing but two-way. It is meant to mutually benefit the two countries. We see many opportunities for Kenyan companies in Ireland too. With this, we will be able to balance trade between our two countries.

IF THE UK LEAVES EUROPEAN UNION, HOW WILL IT HELP YOUR COUNTRY FORGE TRADE TIES WITH KENYA?

Ireland of course is the gateway to Europe and we are the only English-speaking nation in the European Union after the UK.

The exit of the UK from the European Union will help us a lot as Kenyan companies who would wish to have a European base that would have traditionally gone to UK, will now have Ireland as an alternative.

We have a very stable regulatory system, a stable government and a highly educated young workforce and a pool of talent. We also have an access to a pool of 500 million consumers in the EU and on top of that we have people moving into Ireland freely if they would like to work there and across EU.

THERE IS NO DIRECT FLIGHT BETWEEN DUBLIN AND NAIROBI. WON’T THAT AFFECT THE TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES?

Of course there is no direct flight between our two countries and that is indeed one of our biggest challenges.

Direct flights will make it easy for people to move between the two countries without having to have connecting fighting flights which are costly and time-consuming.

IRELAND’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS BELOW FIVE PERCENT. WHAT CAN KENYA LEARN FROM IT?

Ireland went from 16 percent unemployment in 2012 and now we are under five percent.

Even with our low unemployment rate, we have not got complacent and we continue to look for even more opportunities.

Kenya as well can reduce the unemployment rate among her youth by expanding its manufacturing, business and agricultural sectors the way Ireland has done.