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

Kitui to host combined Agricultural Show, Trade and Investment Expo in July 2026

Sacco ReviewDecember 5, 202504 mins

The Kitui County Government has announced that the Kitui Agricultural Show, Trade and Investment Expo 2026 will be held from Thursday, July 23 to Saturday, July 25 2026. The announcement was made by the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr. Kimwele Mbaya, during a press briefing at his office. Dr. Mbaya…

All privatised sugar mills to return to government after lease term lapses

Sacco ReviewDecember 4, 202504 mins

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe has asserted that all investments made by private millers in the four state-owned sugar factories will automatically revert to the government at the expiry of the 30-year lease term. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, CS Kagwe said that private leasing imposes strict performance obligations on the private millers, and they are expected to…

Gov’t to redouble tea farmers earnings in 2027

Sacco ReviewDecember 4, 202505 mins

The government has announced a reform programme in the tea sector aimed at stabilising prices, improving quality and doubling tea farmers’ earnings to Ksh.100 per kilogramme of green leaf by 2027. Speaking when he appeared before the National Assembly on Wednesday, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe intimated that tea farmers receive payments through a two-tier payment model; a monthly initial payment and…

Chemelil Sugar Factory commences full operations after years of shutdown

Sacco ReviewDecember 3, 202507 mins

Kibos Sugar and Allied Products Company officially relaunched operations at the once-ailing state mill, Chemelil Sugar Factory. The revival has been seen as a major turning point in the government’s sugar sector reforms that drew praise from farmers, local leaders and industry players. Kibos Group Managing Director Bhire Chatthe called it “a day of celebration”…

Experts call for faster adoption of drones as Egerton University pushes for modern farming

Sacco ReviewDecember 3, 202509 mins

Kenya’s agricultural sector—responsible for about 22 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics—is at a turning point, with experts urging a shift from traditional farming to technology-driven, precision agriculture. During the Agricultural Drone Pilots Training Programme at Egerton University’s Njoro Main Campus, agricultural scholars…

Tea farmers resists introduction of draconian regulations

Sacco ReviewDecember 2, 2025December 2, 202506 mins

Tea growers in the east of the rift are protesting against a proposal on the standardization of the tea bonus, calling on the stakeholders to enforce plucking of quality green leaf. In their Annual General Meetings, the farmers across the counties said the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) should ensure all the players are involved…

Varsity rolls out programme to train farmers on latest farming technologies, value addition

Sacco ReviewDecember 2, 202505 mins

Zetech University has rolled out a programme to educate farmers on better farming practices, value addition and marketing strategies to bolster their production which will eventually increase their profits. Speaking during the farmers symposium held in the institution, Vice Chancellor Prof Njenga Munene said that the latest farming technologies, modernization and embracing value addition are…

Parliamentary inquiry into tea pricing, farmer bonuses reveals farmers’ divisions in Rift Valley

Sacco ReviewNovember 30, 2025November 30, 202506 mins

A parliamentary inquiry into tea pricing and farmer bonuses has exposed deep divisions between East and West Rift Valley producers, with western growers demanding fair representation and a review of the grading system. Farmers raised key concerns like the perceived bias in factory classifications, the dominance of multinationals in the West Rift and the unequal…

Governor Nyong’o commissions Rice mill in Ahero

Sacco ReviewNovember 29, 202504 mins

The Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o has commissioned a 2.5 metric tonnes per hour Multi Stage County Rice Mill in Ahero Nyando Sub-County. Speaking during the event, the governor said that the launch signifies a milestone that represents not only investment in infrastructure but a bold and strategic investment in farmers, economy and the County’s…

Kagwe urges lenders, donors to reduce lending rates to 3% for farmers to benefit

Sacco ReviewNovember 28, 202504 mins

The Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe has issued a bold call to lenders and development partners to radically reform agricultural financing models, saying farmers will never achieve meaningful growth unless credit becomes affordable and donor funding is restructured to deliver direct impact at the farm level. Speaking during the Intergovernmental Agriculture…