Corteva Agriscience, a New York Stock Exchange-listed agriculture company, has officially launched its regional operations in East Africa.
The firm, a leader in seed technologies, crop protection and digital agriculture, has set up shop in Nairobi with eyes on the wider Eastern Central and Southern Africa(ESCA) countries.
It is positioning solutions to the recurring problem of food insecurity in the region.
Mr Humphrey Kiruaye, Corteva Agriscience Country Lead for Kenya and the Great Lakes Region, said Corteva, with its global affiliation and its partners, was well-positioned to provide sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the small-scale farming sector in Kenya.
In doing this, the firm would work closely with the Kenya Government institutions, research institutions, and the academia to harness expertise that would assist the small-scale farmer maximize on his land in line with the food security pillar in the Kenya Government Big Four Agenda.
Figures indicate that Kenya’s small-scale farmers produce an average of 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare compared to Ethiopia with 5 metric tonnes and Zambia with 4 metric tonnes respectively.
The US firm will deploy cutting edge farming technology in farming and leverage on extension services and digital platforms to disseminate information to farmers throughout Kenya. It is estimated that farmers in Kenya suffer post -harvest losses of upto 40 per cent.
