Agriculture - Sacco Review | The Leading Newspaper for Co-operative Movement in Kenya

Leaders, farmers laud Meru Dairy CEO Gitonga over prudent use of farmers’ funds

Sacco ReviewDecember 24, 202505 mins

Leaders and farmers in Meru County have lauded Meru Dairy Cooperative Union Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Gitonga for prudent management of farmers’ resources, citing investments that are beginning to yield tangible benefits. The praise was voiced during the official handover of machinery for the Meru Dairy Maziwa Millers Factory at Mitunguu in South Imenti, an…

Gov’t unveils KSh3.5B tea reforms to modernize factories, cut costs and speed up farmer payments

Sacco ReviewDecember 22, 2025December 22, 202505 mins

The government has launched a Sh3.5 billion reform package for Kenya’s tea industry following an audit that exposed deep weaknesses in governance, financial management and operational efficiency across dozens of processing plants. The programme is designed to restore farmer confidence and raise earnings by modernizing 19 factories, lowering fertilizer costs and strengthening irrigation, with a…

KUSPAW calls for nationwide strike over KSh1.9 billion unpaid arrears at leased sugar mills

Sacco ReviewDecember 20, 202504 mins

The Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW) has announced a nationwide strike from Monday, citing the government’s failure to settle salary and terminal benefits arrears owed to workers at leased state-owned mills, estimated at about KSh1.9 billion. Union Secretary General Francis Wangara said employees at Muhoroni, Chemelil, Nzoia and Sony Sugar will…

Kenya Sugar Board moves to avert strike with pledge on workers’ arrears

Sacco ReviewDecember 20, 202505 mins

The Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) has stepped in to ease mounting labour unrest in the sugar sector, promising prompt payment of arrears to cane workers after the Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW) threatened a nationwide strike. KSB Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire said the government is working to ensure that workers…

Farmers shift to family and digital lenders as bank, SACCO credit drops despite CBK easing

Sacco ReviewDecember 19, 202504 mins

Kenyan farmers are increasingly ditching banks and SACCOs in favour of borrowing from family, friends and digital lending platforms, even as conventional borrowing costs fall. The latest Agriculture Sector Survey by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows a clear pivot toward informal and tech‑enabled credit, underscoring changing preferences and risk dynamics in agricultural financing….

Migori Calls on MSMEs to apply for KJET value addition funding before year-end deadline

Sacco ReviewDecember 18, 202504 mins

The Migori County Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development has issued an urgent call for applications from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) clusters seeking co-investment support under the Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) Project. With less than 2 weeks left before the December 31 deadline, the department is urging cooperatives, associations, self-help…

Government sets fresh momentum for coffee reforms as national steering committee concludes Machakos retreat

Sacco ReviewDecember 18, 202505 mins

The government has renewed its push to revive Kenya’s coffee sector following a high‑level National Steering Committee Retreat held at the SEO Hotel in Machakos. The meeting brought together members of the Coffee Revival Steering Committee and key industry stakeholders for intensive, solution‑driven discussions. The retreat was opened by Patrick Kilemi, Principal Secretary in the…

Coffee theft returns to Kangema as 15 bags vanish in dawn raid

Sacco ReviewDecember 16, 202503 mins

Panic has gripped coffee farmers in Kangema, Murang’a after a gang broke into Marimira Coffee Factory and made away with 15 bags of coffee in what locals believe was a carefully planned inside job. The incident has revived fears of renewed thefts at a time when prices at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange are rising. The…

Cabinet approves KSh9.7 billion livestock value chain project to revamp dairy and cereal sectors

Sacco ReviewDecember 16, 202505 mins

The Cabinet has approved a KSh9.7 billion Livestock Value Chain Support Project (LVSP), a new programme aimed at improving dairy productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, and increasing farmer incomes across the country. The project is funded by the Government of Kenya and supported by a tied-aid credit agreement from the Polish Government. According to the Ministry…

Kapkoros tea farmers demand disbandment of board over alleged mismanagement

Sacco ReviewDecember 15, 202503 mins

Tea farmers under the Kapkoros Tea Factory Group of Companies are demanding the immediate dissolution of the board of directors, accusing it of prolonged mismanagement that they say has eroded their earnings and destabilized their livelihoods. The group comprises Kapkoros, Motigo, Tirgaga and Olenguruone tea factories. Led by farmer representative Alice Koros, the growers said…