The Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) has praised the organisation of this year’s Kisumu National Show, citing increased participation by exhibitors and students as a sign of the event’s growing impact.
ASK National Chairman John Kibira said many exhibitors were attending the show for the first time, reflecting successful outreach efforts by organisers.
Speaking during a tour of exhibition stands alongside Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr Mathew Owili and ASK Kisumu Branch Chairperson Mary Omondi, Kibira also welcomed the large turnout of students and urged more schools to take part.
He said the exhibition offered learners an opportunity to interact with research institutions and agricultural innovations, noting that more technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions had also participated this year.
The show is being held under the theme: Promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture and Trade Initiatives for Sustainable Economic Growth.
Dr Owili also commended the organisation of the annual exhibition and called for increased investment in agriculture to strengthen food security at both county and national levels.
Representing Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, the deputy governor said Kisumu County was committed to transforming agriculture into a modern, climate-resilient and commercially driven sector through strategic investments in farming, livestock development and agricultural training.
“Agriculture remains central to our development agenda. It feeds our people, supports industry, creates employment and drives trade,” he said.
Dr Owili said the county government was implementing programmes to boost productivity, strengthen agricultural value chains and improve farmers’ incomes while promoting environmental sustainability.
He highlighted the Kisumu Dairy Development Centre as one of the county’s flagship projects, saying it would improve breeding services, animal health, farmer training and dairy value chains, leading to higher livestock productivity and increased household incomes.
He also announced that the Pap Konam Agricultural Training Centre had been completed and would be handed over to the Kenya School of Agriculture later this month.
The centre is expected to train farmers, extension officers and young agripreneurs in modern farming technologies to improve food security across the Lake Region.
Dr Owili said partnerships with Maseno University and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology would help translate agricultural research into practical solutions for farmers.
He warned that climate change continued to threaten food production through erratic rainfall, floods, prolonged droughts and emerging crop and livestock diseases.
The deputy governor urged farmers to adopt climate-smart farming practices, including improved seed varieties, efficient irrigation, mechanisation, renewable energy, soil conservation and better livestock breeds.
He said Kisumu was among 14 counties benefiting from the TUNZA programme under the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB), a six-year initiative funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Green Climate Fund, the Government of Denmark and the Government of Kenya.
According to Dr Owili, the programme will equip thousands of farmers with climate-smart technologies to increase productivity, strengthen food security and restore degraded landscapes.
He also challenged stakeholders to strengthen the entire agricultural value chain by investing in processing, storage, branding, logistics and market access.
Dr Owili said Kisumu’s strategic location positioned it as a potential regional hub for agricultural trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Addressing young people attending the show, Dr Owili encouraged them to view agriculture as a business opportunity rather than relying solely on formal employment.
He urged residents to visit the exhibition, engage with exhibitors and embrace new technologies, before officially declaring the 2026 Kisumu ASK National Show open.
The annual event brings together farmers, researchers, businesses, government agencies and development partners to showcase innovations aimed at improving agricultural productivity and sustainability.
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