- Three Taita Taveta cooperatives receive Ksh29.9 million to boost dairy and banana value chains.
- Tagho Dairy gets Ksh14.9 million, Taita Taveta Banana Ksh8.6 million and Mwafugha Dairy Ksh5.81 million.
- Governor Andrew Mwadime urges farmers to embrace cooperatives and value addition.
Three farmer cooperatives in Taita Taveta County have received Ksh 29.9 million to boost dairy and banana value chains, reduce post-harvest losses, improve market access and increase farmers’ earnings through value addition and collective marketing.
The funds, disbursed through the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), will support processing, packaging, market access and other investments aimed at helping farmers shift from selling raw produce to value-added products.
Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, while handing over the grants, urged farmers to join cooperatives to pool resources and invest in value addition.
“When each farmer joins a cooperative society, you’re putting together resources to ensure that your produce isn’t going to leave in raw form but as finished products that fetch the maximum prices whether sold locally or across the country’s borders,” said Mwadime.
Tagho Dairy Cooperative received the largest allocation of Ksh 14.9 million to finance pasteurisation, processing and packaging facilities.
The cooperative chairperson, Job Mwakesi, said the investment would enable members to reduce losses caused by selling raw milk, especially during periods when production exceeds demand.
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“We’re looking to establish an entire milk chain of pasteurizing, processing, and packaging so that we no longer have to sell raw or at throw away prices from the fear of our milk going bad,” said Mwakesi.
Taita Taveta Banana (TATABA) FCS Limited received Ksh 8.6 million to support banana production and solarise its Voi banana ripening chambers. Its chairperson, Ndelejai Msangi, said high electricity costs and inadequate ripening facilities had contributed to significant post-harvest losses.
The third beneficiary, Mwafugha Dairy FCS Limited in Wumingu/Kishushe, received Ksh 5.81 million to support milk aggregation and Artificial Insemination (AI) services. The cooperative said the interventions would address challenges that have affected its operations and contributed to low returns for dairy farmers.
NAVCDP County Project Coordinator Andrew Mbinga urged farmers across Taita Taveta to join ward-based cooperatives, saying collective marketing would strengthen their bargaining power and ensure they receive fair value for their produce.
The county government said the investments are also aligned with national efforts to boost grassroots economic productivity, increase household incomes and create employment opportunities, particularly for young people and other vulnerable groups.
By Bernard Magada
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