Kenya’s food will soon exhibit in India. The Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Ms Suchitra Durai has promised to organize a buyer seller meet for Kenya food products in India to strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
Ms Durai was speaking at a buyer seller meet for Indian food products at Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi last month. The expo was organized by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which looked to create a more close relationship between Kenya and India by introducing some Indian products to the Kenyan market, and the Indian High Commission to Kenya.
It brought together a delegation of 20 different organizations in the hospitality industry from India to showcase their products to the Kenyan business sector. The delegates offered different types of products ranging from chocolate and cocoa to sweets, to fresh long-living corn.
The high commissioner showed her gratitude to APEDA for holding the conference especially on a day when a farm harvest festival was being celebrated in India. She was optimistic that Indian foods will bring a lot of opportunities to business people in Kenya.
Kenya and India have traditionally traded with each other although the balance is usually in the favour of India, which is the 6th largest exporter to Kenya. According to APEDA, India’s export to Kenya includes pharmaceuticals and steel while the imports from Kenya include vegetables and tea.
Mr. Kiprono Kittony, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) chairman said that the relationship between Kenya and India was a historical one dating back to the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway from 1896 where Indians played a major role in its construction. Mr Kittony also stated that the two countries had signed eight memoranda of understanding, which will lead to India investing more in the country.
The main objective of the buyer seller meet was for the Indian delegates to introduce their products to the Kenyan market as well as networking.
