Kenya Breweries Limited is looking for additional 5,000 farmers to supply sorghum to the company as the demand for its Senator Keg beer increases.
The company has 40,000 farmers in its database who supply the crop which is the main raw material in beer production. It, however, plans to increase the number to 45,000 due to increased demand for Senator Keg Lager, a low price beer that was introduced to eliminate the consumption of illicit alcohol. At least 22 counties have been listed as potential areas where the crop can do well.
Farmers from the counties will directly supply the crop to the brewer.
Kenya Breweries' manager in charge of sustainability and stakeholders engagement Waithera Mwai said some people still consider sorghum as a “poor man's crop”.
She said with programmes like the one offered by the company, families engaging in sorghum production can be rich.
"We want farmers to be economically empowered. That is why we intend to engage more people in sorghum production," she said.
Farmers to benefit from the programme are from Tharaka Nithi, Migori, Meru, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Baringo, Nakuru, Kitui and Makueni.
Others are from Taita Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Kajiado, Machakos, Isiolo, Embu, Kirinyaga, Narok, Bomet, Muranga, and Malindi who will be first registered and enrolled in the initiative.
In Homa Bay, one of the major suppliers of raw materials for making beer, farmers plan to plant the crop after the previous harvest was sold out to different organisations.
According to Karachuonyo Farmer’s Lolwe Cooperative Society chairperson Ager Kirowo, farmers who are members of this group supplied at least 30 tonnes of sorghum in their last harvest.
"Production was below our previous harvest because of prevailing challenges like reduced rainfall. Every season comes with its own sets of challenges," he said.
