Farmers in Kenya are set to benefit from a new agricultural produce market in Georgia as the country pushes to expand access to top exports in emerging markets in the Caucasus region.
The country is seeking to build on last year’s exports of Sh821 million worth of produce to export more and dominate the emerging markets in the other country.
Fresh cut flowers remain Kenya’s strongest export , valued at Sh777.8 million in 2024, followed by tea, fruits and coffee.
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya was keen on achieving an exponential growth in exports for farmers to benefit from the diversified markets.
“It’s not just exporting more but better, through structured market entry, premium packaging and stronger distribution networks across Georgia and the wider Caucasus region,” he said.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with Georgia’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, H.E. David Songulashvili, the two ministers agreed to fast-track market access by clearing the bottlenecks that slow down Kenya’s agricultural exports.
They include faster SPS approvals, stronger food safety certifications and a new Kenya–Georgia Joint working group to aggressively open markets and protect farmer earnings
The country also secured a new, stable source of fertilizer, critical for lowering farming costs.
Georgia confirmed interest in supplying fertilizer to Kenya and partnering on local blending and production offering farmers more competitive pricing and consistent availability.
Additionally, Georgia’s advanced irrigation systems and water-resource technology will be integrated into Arid and Semi Arid Lands irrigation schemes, solar-powered water systems, modern greenhouse technologies, to increase productivity and improve Kenya’s food security.
Other areas of partnership between the two countries include digital farming tools, livestock vaccines, diagnostics and genetics as well as joint research between KALRO and Georgian institutions, global-standard SPS training and traceability systems to reduce post-harvest losses and improve product quality.
To ensure global disruptions do not severely affect Kenya’s wheat, maize and rice supply chains, CS Kagwe said Kenya must diversify its food imports sources and secure partnerships.
The two countries agreed to develop a Kenya–Georgia Agriculture Memorandum of Understanding that will formalize cooperation, drive investment, and support joint ventures in agro-processing, agri-logistics, warehousing and agricultural innovation.
