NAIROBI, Kenya: July 4 (Xinhua) — Kenya and Mexico are set to sign a deal by the end of the year that will see Kenya improve its food security through enhanced technology for the country’s staple food maize.
Mexico’s Ambassador to Kenya Luis Campuzano told Xinhua in Nairobi that the project will involve Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARI) and the University of Nairobi as part of South- South cooperation.
“Before the end of 2012, Kenya and Mexico intends to sign a deal on transfer of post harvest maize technology in order to improve Kenya’s food security,” Campuzano said late on Tuesday on the sidelines of the launch of the Mexico Art Exhibition in Nairobi.
The exhibition hopes to nurture and foster cultural exchange and cooperation between Kenya and Mexico. Campuzano said that the technology which is known as Nixtamalization aims to improve handling technology of maize in order to reduce build up of moisture content which is blamed for toxicants.
“By using technology of the indigenous people of Mexico, the Aztecs, it will help wipe out aflatoxins in the staple cereal and thereby reduce waste,” he said.
Mid last month, Kenya launched an initiative aimed at boosting food security in Kenya at all times. Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the Economic Review of Food Security which was launched by the Prince of Wales International aims at projecting the gap between food supply and demand and how to address situations arising when supply is exposed to shocks.
“It will for instance look at whether food supply gap would widen if water was depleted and what policy action would be taken to contain such vulnerability,” he told journalists in Nairobi on June 15.
The East African nation is one of the countries where the effects of climate are beginning to be felt. But changing weather patterns are also blamed on the cutting down trees in forests and farms and also clearing of vegetation because of population pressure on land for cultivation.
Last year’s drought made some 3.8 million Kenyans dependent on food aid and an estimated 2.2 million people remain in need of assistance, including 250,000 who are in humanitarian crisis. Speaking late Tuesday, the Mexican envoy said that the maize when cooked in limestone mixture eliminate aflatoxins which causes liver damage.
“It has also been shown to improve nutrition by increasing the assimilation of carbohydrates and other nutrients into the body,” he noted.
Both of the nations are also set to sign a deal in order to improve cooperation in the health sector by end of August. The ministries of health of both nations have signed a letter of intent on health cooperation.
“We are waiting for the signature for Mexico’s minister of health in order to formalize the agreement,” he said.
According to the embassy of Mexico, the cooperation will cover areas including the eradication of malaria, HIV, Tuberculosis.
“Some areas of Mexico have a similar climate to that of Kenya and as a result experiences tropical diseases such as malaria but we managed to overcome them,” Campuzano said.
“Health experts from Mexico are set to arrive in Kenya in July in order to map out the details of the cooperation which will also extend to the field of non-communicable diseases,” he said.
Campuzano said that both countries are also exploring other areas of cooperation.
“We have developed a mechanism for consultation on trade issues between the two countries,” he added.
According to the Mexico embassy total bilateral trade stands at 8 million U.S. dollars annually. Mexico is however optimistic about future trade prospects as its total international trade stands at approximately 600 billion.
“Mexican investors have expressed interest in investing in Kenya because it is east African regional hub and especially in the affordable housing, energy and cement sectors,” the envoy said.
Mexico will also help improve Kenya’s capacity in conducting elections having already trained over 30 nations so far. The envoy added that there is already booming trade in cultural products as Kenya is a big importer of Mexicans film.
He added that during the upcoming Africa week slated for October in Mexico, Kenyans will be invited to promote their culture and products. (Xinhua)
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