Dublin-based Self Help Africa has secured a €24m EU grant to support the development of agricultural value chains in Kenya over the next five years – the organisation's largest ever single-funding agreement, a spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal. With the regional business consultancy Imani Development, the Irish charity will target €18m of the funding to around 50 agri-businesses offering new access to markets or inputs to an expected 100,000 farmers, especially smallholders and women.

"Supported businesses can include co-ops, processors or producers," the spokesperson said. Funding will prioritise projects promoting climate-smart agricultural inputs, processing and aggregation of agricultural products and nutrition.

The remaining €6m will fund technical assistance to the grant recipients and to farmers trading with them. The project team is being recruited and expects to make its first call for applications in the second quarter of this year.

Self Help Africa secured a separate €14m EU grant to train more than 13,200 farmers in Malawi last month.

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