Nairobi — The arrival of more than 47,000 metric tons of American grain to Mombasa marks an expansion of U.S.-Kenya trade and the beginning of a project to enhance agricultural productivity in Kenya.

Proceeds from the sale of the hard red winter wheat will be reinvested to fund the Food for Progress Livestock Innovation and Feed Transformation (LIFT) project in Kenya.

The program supports expanded access to premium livestock feed ingredients and will improve the productivity of Kenya's livestock sector.

The LIFT initiative builds on the long-standing partnership between the United States and Kenya while also exemplifying the United States' transition to market-based support mechanisms and emphasis on economic empowerment of Kenya.

The American grain was carried to Mombasa by the MV Liberty Grace, a U.S.flagged vessel. Commercial buyers will purchase the high-quality wheat for milling and consumption in Kenya.

U.S. Embassy Kenya's Chargé d'affaires Susan Burns visited Bulkstream Limited on Monday while the grain was being offloaded.

"This is a big win for both American and Kenyan farmers. We are excited to see the expanded trade, as well as LIFT's focus on supporting Kenyan livestock producers by developing systems to produce higher quality animal feeds at a lower cost," Burns said.

LIFT is organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and implemented by Counterpart International.