STORY: Kenya flags off 1st batch of anchovies destined for Chinese market
DATELINE: June 25, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:58
LOCATION: KWALE, Kenya
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP (English): JAMES ASANDE, Xinhua reporter
2. various of the factory
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SALIM MVURYA, Cabinet secretary for mining, blue economy and maritime affairs, Kenya
4. various of the factory
7. SOUNDBITE 2 (Swahili): HASSA MOHAMMED, Local resident

STORYLINE:

STANDUP (English): JAMES ASANDE, Xinhua reporter
"The first consignment of anchovies has been flagged off from Ukunda, a town in the south of Kenya, to China. The anchovies will be showcased at the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in central China."

Senior government officials, local administrators and fishermen graced the ceremony to officially dispatch the inaugural batch of anchovies to China, harvested from the Indian Ocean coastline.

The export of anchovies sourced from the Kenyan coast to the Chinese market is anchored on a bilateral agreement signed by the two countries in January 2022 aimed at facilitating bilateral trade in avocado and aquatic products.
   
Salim Mvurya, cabinet secretary for mining, blue economy and maritime affairs, said the export of anchovies to the Chinese market will unlock the fisheries sub-sector and create new jobs for coastal youth.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SALIM MVURYA, Cabinet secretary for mining, blue economy and maritime affairs, Kenya
"My message for this day is that it's very historic. It's a very historic moment because it's the first time that an export of this nature is made."

Huawen Food (Kenya) Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Limited, a Chinese company that has established a factory for processing, drying and packaging anchovies bought from local fishermen in Kwale County, handled the shipment of the small fish to the Asian nation.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (Swahili): HASSA MOHAMMED, Local resident
"We are bound to see best practices and improved levels of fishing since the factory has been established next to the fishermen by the Chinese investors and that's the shared happiness among the locals here. We pray for many Chinese factories to be set up here including some in fruit processing, through which we will see improved incomes and earnings to various households."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kwale, Kenya.
(XHTV)