Mr. Clement Kilonzi is a farmer from Kaani Location in Machakos County who attended Machakos County Agricultural Trade Fair organized by USAID Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprises project on 22nd March 2016. Clement left his home with high hopes and anticipation of a bright day full of new learning experience.

The exhibitors did not disappoint because they gave Clement the solution he had been searching for years; the spray programme for his mango trees. “I was eager to learn how to control pests and diseases to ensure high quality mangoes. The outlay of the exhibition tents was very organized and well labelled thus guided me to the agro chemicals section where an officer from Sygenta took me through the mango spray programme. I was handed with brochures for reference and exchanged contacts with the officer for enquiries. I left the tent a fulfilled farmer sure that my mango trees will bear high quality fruits at the end of the next season.”

Clement went on with the learning as he visited other exhibition tents and later left the venue with high hopes of increased income from his mango farm in the next season. Clement has been following the spray programme and kept contact with the field staff who has visited him several times and advised on mango agronomy and pest and disease control. This is evidenced by the healthy mango plants in his farm at the flowering stage. Clement expects to harvest 5,000 pieces of mangoes in the coming season which is a 67% increase from the previous harvest.