“We regard Africa as an important partner, both in view of its sources of raw materials and its growing import markets”, Minister of State for Rural Development Miklós Kis stressed at the launch of the first joint V4 African development project in the Kenyan town of Kilifi.
In his speech at the event held on 12 June 2018, Mr. Kis also spoke about the fact that Kenya’s agriculture faces many challenges, with relation to which Hungarian innovative, scientific and research potential can provide major assistance. As he explained, this is also underpinned by the plant health research institute cooperation and dialogue begun in recent years.
The Minister of State pointed out that the new project is in harmony with the “Global Visegrád” target of the 2017-2018 Hungarian presidency of the Visegrád Group (V4). He highlighted the fact that through realising the development project the goal of the V4, including Hungary, is also to handle the migration challenges facing Europe, one of the most important methods of which is to develop African economies and facilitate job creation.
The Operative Committee of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) voted in favour of the project proposal put forward by the Slovakian presidency of the V4 countries on 15 December 2016. The goal of the initiative is to breathe new life into Kenya’s cashew nut processing industry and by doing so to facilitate employment through the reinforcement of local businesses. The project, which is being realised along Kenya’s coastline with an investment of 1.9 million euros, will assure the employment of 15000 local farmers via the planting of one million cashew trees.