Taita Taveta County has taken up an initiative to set up a Ksh45 million rice mill in Taveta Sub-county to revolutionize rice farming in a move aimed at growing wealth creation amongst the farmers in the region.
Hundreds of rice farmers in the county, who have been selling unpolished rice at a throwaway price and at the same time suffering at the hands of middlemen and brokers, have been asked to increase the growing of the rice ahead of the construction of the milling factory.
The factory will be constructed at Mboghoni ward and is set to complement the mobile milling machines recently flagged off in the county to double the income generated from the commodity.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony at Mboghoni recently, area Governor Andrew Mwadime noted that the farmers have continued to languish in poverty due to over-exploitation by brokers and middlemen. And also, the county has been losing revenue as farmers take their rice outside the county for milling. According to the governor, the county will complete the project in about six months.
“We aim to change the lives of our rice farmers. Instead of taking rice far for value addition at a high cost, we have decided to support the farmers by setting up this milling machine. Recently, we flagged off a mobile mill. Nine others will come to boost the value addition of rice in the county,” said the Governor.
The governor noted that the county will work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation at the national government to open up the area that is the potential for rice farming to boost production.
“Since independence, we have had a huge land for rice production in Taveta but it has been underutilized. We will work in handy with the National Government to maximize production of the land,” he said.
This comes even as the county is preparing to drain excess water in Buruma rice fields for large and medium-scale farming. The 18,000-acre field is the largest rice-growing area in Taveta.
The county is targeting to get at least 30,000 acres of land under rice production annually upon reclaiming the land.
His sentiments were echoed by Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo who noted that apart from value addition, the plant will create jobs for unemployed people in the area.
She stated that farmers will be able to get money that will enable them to take their children to school without necessarily depending on bursaries.
She added, “We are seeing food on the table. Not just for the residents of Taveta but the county at large and our neighbouring counties. We are seeing lives changing as youths will get employment opportunities from this plant.”
Once completed, Kilalo noted that the factory will help farmers produce high-quality rice that meets the standards and preferences of consumers.
On his part, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Erick Kyongo said to ensure production that will sustain the functionality of the factory, there is a need to maximize the growing of the crop throughout the year.
He noted that his ministry is also assisting farmers to produce high-quality grain and reduce post-harvest losses attributed to poor handling, transportation, storage, pests, and weather among other factors.
To ensure farmers are not exploited by incurring transportation costs of their produce to the milling factory, a cooperation has been formed that will be tasked to collect the commodity from farms to the factory.
“We have Taita Taveta Investment Development Cooperation which will run the factory. Farmers will not have to transport their produce to the factory as this cooperation will move across the county collecting rice from farmer to the factory,” said Kyongo.
Kyongo disclosed that the factory will have a capacity to mill about 3 tonnes per hour stating that plans are underway to ensure that rice is produced throughout the year to sustain the factory.
By Michael Oduor | oduormichael2021@gmail.com
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