Kimoi Moi, director Agrico PSA, (with red tie) discussed the importance of Agrico to Kenyan farmers and local people during the roundtable discussion.

Strong bond of equal partners
All in all, these interests created tension before and during the state visit, for both the Netherlands and Kenya. The King addressed this discussion during the visit. Among other things, he indicated that a state visit is a visit from a country to a country. The King also emphasized that Kenya and the Netherlands have had a strong bond of “equal partners and friends” for 60 years. Not going to Kenya, he said, would be tantamount to turning your back on Kenya.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima attended the business forum during their visit, which focused on the strong economic ties between the Netherlands and Kenya and allowed participants in the economic missions to meet each other and their Kenyan partners. The Royal Couple also participated in a roundtable with CEOs discussing the opportunities and challenges of doing business in Kenya. Agrico PSA was one of the prominent parties during this conversation.

Agrico PSA
Agrico has had an active presence in Kenya for 10 years. In 2015, the two organizations Migotiyo Plantations Ltd. and Agrico BV. decided to join forces. This resulted in the establishment of Agrico Potato Services Africa Ltd, or Agrico PSA. The goal of the co-operation is to grow throughout the potato chain by making local cultivation more efficient, improving the quality of the starting material and harvest and increasing food security in Kenya.

Agrico PSA imports high-quality basic material from the Netherlands every year. In Nakuru, Agrico PSA produces affordable and certified seed potatoes year-round for local farmers. This enables them to grow more than 90,000 tons of Kenyan consumption potatoes annually for the local market. These potatoes are sold to local chips and crisps producers, hotels, restaurants, retailers and traditional markets, ultimately reaching Kenyan consumers. In this way, small businesses in Kenya receive a major boost that enhances the standard of living of residents and their communities. The staff of Agrico PSA is also entirely Kenyan.

This makes the Agrico PSA joint venture a strong example of local-for-local enterprise. It is the kind of cooperation between governments and business that fits well with the foreign policy of the Dutch and Kenyan governments.

Minister Reinette Klever van Buitenlandse Handel en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking en Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, de Principal Secretary State Department for Investment Promotion in Kenia.

Food safety
The Cabinet is making clear choices when it comes to future development co-operation. According to Minister Klever, the efforts will focus on three Dutch interests: trade and economy, security and stability, and migration. The Netherlands wants to promote these interests with programs and diplomatic efforts in areas in which the Netherlands excels: water management, food safety and health.

This includes more intensive cooperation with the Dutch business community to contribute to innovations and solving local problems in developing countries in order to strengthen their market positions. With Dutch investors, producers, suppliers and logistics companies, the ministry wants to engage in the production of agricultural crops from East Africa. The ministry wants to do this together with local organizations. The goal is to make production cheaper, faster and more future-proof. This offers opportunities for Dutch companies and creates jobs and income in countries in the region, Minister Klever wrote in a letter to the House of Representatives.

Good example
Agrico calls on Dutch politicians to use pragmatism and realism as the basis for foreign policy. Michel de Bruin, Manager Business Development at Agrico: “I always cite Kenya and Ukraine as good examples of how co-operation between government and business can work just fine.” Agrico PSA is now seen by various public and private stakeholders as an innovative market leader in Kenya.

He cited this message earlier during a discussion Minister Klever and a diverse representation of parties involved in the call “Dutch approach to international food security works!” The conversation, held on December 11th 2024, focused on current challenges and opportunities within foreign trade and development assistance (FTA) policy. Key themes in the conversation were food security and trade. Those present, including Agrico, emphasized the desire to work with the ministries of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature to shape and implement effective policies on fair, sustainable and climate resilient food systems in low- and middle-income countries.

Kenyan news also covered the state visit. Of the parties present at the roundtable discussion, only Agrico PSA made the news broadcast.