Sh32m cotton contract farming for Tana River growers
Rivatex East Africa workers pick cotton at the company’s farm in Migori. The firm will purchase lint from the Tana River ginnery at a minimum Sh150 per kilo. PHOTO | FILE
Cotton farmers in Tana River County will benefit from a Sh32 million contract with State agencies and textile firms to offer a ready market for their crop.
The money will be used for farm inputs, credit, provision of extension services and linking them to the market.
Anthony Mureithi, the head of fibre crops directorate at the Agriculture Food Authority (AFA), said the initiative is part of other strategies being fast-tracked to help farmers revive cotton farming.
“We are working [with] all players in the sector players to ensure farmers go back to cotton farming and that they have a ready market. In this way we expect to reclaim our lost glory in cotton farming, create more wealth and enhance job creation through revival of agro-based industries,” said Mr Mureithi.
The agreement was signed between Bura Farmers Community Based Organisation (CBOs), Meru Ginnery, National Irrigation Board (NIB), AFA, Tana River County Government, Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC), Amiran Kenya, Rivatex EA and Kenya Agribusiness and agroindustry alliance.
The NIB will maintain and operate the major irrigation infrastructure such as stores, water pipes, while Meru Ginnery will purchase all cotton from farmers at a minimum price of Sh52 per kilogramme delivered at the NIB stores.
Amiran Kenya will supply certified hybrid seeds to fibre crops directorate and advice on pesticides and herbicides to be used while Rivatex EA will purchase all lint from the ginnery at a minimum of Sh150 per kilogramme of lint price at the time of purchase based on the world market situation.
The value chain players will implement a four-month pilot project before the main season kicks off in February 2017.
Farmers under the programme will receive certified seeds sourced from Israel and other global market segments.
“Farmers will receive an advance of Sh10 per kilogramme to enable them harvest their crop with ease and the balance will be paid within seven days after delivery to NIB stores,” Mureithi added.
Mr Mureithi said the new model involves introduction of contractual farming and it guarantees farmers good prices and markets as well. Kenya produces 30,000 bales annually against spinning capacity demand of about 10,000 metric tonnes of lint.
To bridge the gap, Kenya imports substantial amounts of cotton lint and seed cake for local textile mills and feed manufacture mainly from Uganda and Tanzania.
Tanzania produces more than 10 times of Kenya production.
In 1970s and 1980s when cotton farming was second in the country in terms of employment after public service, Bura used to produce 30 per cent of the national production.
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