A Ksh45 million rice milling plant meant to transform the livelihoods of farmers in Taita Taveta County, has stalled for years, leaving hundreds of growers at the mercy of brokers and foreign traders.
The uncompleted project, launched with the promise of adding value to locally grown rice, now stands as a symbol of dashed hopes and wasted potential. Farmers say they continue to toil without meaningful returns despite cultivating thousands of acres of the staple crop.
“We had high expectations when construction began,” said Stephen Mzirai, chairperson of the Kimorigo Rice Farmers Association. “But years later, the mill remains idle, and we’re still forced to sell our paddy to middlemen at throwaway prices.”
Without a functional processing facility, Taveta’s rice farmers are compelled to sell unprocessed paddy to traders from Tanzania, Mwea, and Kisumu, often for as little as Ksh40 per kilogramme. The traders then polish, package, and resell it at much higher prices, reaping profits that local farmers never see.
ALSO READ;
Former Transport CS James Macharia appointed Chairman of Sidian Bank
Currently, the only operational mill in the region is a small diesel-powered machine donated by the Japanese government through JICA in 2016. The outdated equipment, located in Kimorigo, processes only three tonnes of rice per day and lacks the ability to grade or polish to market standards.
With most farmers still depending on manual labour, rice cultivation has become expensive and unsustainable. “We do all the work, but the profits go to brokers across the border,” Mzirai lamented.
Taita Taveta County Executive for Agriculture Dawson Mzenge acknowledged the sector’s challenges, saying plans are underway to revive stalled projects, including the rice mill.
The Uswi Cooperative Society, which brings together more than 400 rice farmers in Taveta, has urged the county government to involve farmer groups in any plans to revive or lease the facility.
ALSO READ;
Delegate demands transparency as Shirika Housing Coop faces pressure over withheld inquiry report
“Farmers must be part of the solution,” said the cooperative’s chairperson. “We have the capacity to run the mill efficiently through our cooperative structures. Leasing it without our input would only repeat past mistakes where farmers were sidelined from key decisions.”
The cooperative also appealed for access to affordable credit through SACCOs to help farmers invest in better seeds, irrigation, and mechanization once the mill becomes functional.
Despite these calls, farmers remain skeptical, noting that similar promises have been made before without tangible results. “We just want to see the mill running,” said Mzirai. “That would help us process, grade, and market our rice competitively.”
By Mercy Kokwon
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
