The national government has delivered mobile rice milling machines to rice farmers in Mboghoni, Taveta sub-county to boost the production of rice to over 60 tonnes per week.
The Office of the President in conjunction with the county government of Taita Taveta undertook the project to empower rice farmers in the area to significantly increase production while reducing importation costs.
Speaking while launching the machines, the Food Security Advisor to the President Dr. Dominic Menja, said that the machines are vital to boost the value addition of rice in order to increase the current price from Ksh40 to Ksh85.
The county Deputy Governor Christine Saru Kilalo reiterated that partnering with the government is poised to strengthen cooperative societies, aiming to stimulate growth while complimenting their efforts by establishing aggregation and distribution centers for the storage, value addition and marketing of agricultural products.
“Our country’s goal in this partnership is to ensure we have aggregation centers to support agripreneurs, Saccos and data systems in an effort to support our farmers in the production of farm produce. We also want to ensure farmers are consistently assisted and protected in order to reduce post-harvest losses, eliminate predatory cartels and boost farmer earnings,” she said.
“By empowering our farmers with machines, we will cut down on the losses incurred by selling unprocessed rice to Tanzania for milling. Once value is added, the price will go up significantly and we will be able to compete with Mwea,” she added.
Mboghoni MCA, Halifa Taraya, lauded the State for prioritizing rice farmers in the region adding that this will not only ensure food security in the county but will also ensure that the neighboring counties benefit from the surplus that will be produced.
He further affirmed that the move by the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) to start purchasing rice, green grams and maize of high quality from farmers within the county starting Monday is a welcome move that will ensure food security and further empower farmers in the county. The board will also retain the surplus and sell it locally.
However, Trade CECM Gertrude Shuwe said that in order to improve production, sustain the market and turn the county into a thriving 24-hour economy, rice acreage needs to increase from 14,000 to 36,000.
Currently, the county produces slightly over 4,600 tonnes of rice yearly from less than a quarter of the potential production acreage available in the area.
However, the county in partnership with the national government is working to increase rice production to more than 12,000 tonnes annually on 14,000 acres of wetlands already reclaimed in Buruma.
In July 2023, the county administration through Governor Andrew Mwadime embarked on drainage works at Buruma rice fields in Taveta to help reclaim wasted land and win back farmers into the abandoned economic activity.
By Michael Oduor | oduormichael2021@gmail.com
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