October 2, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke NEWSFOCUS | 13 Taita Taveta county to construct banana processing factory 1000 lion to ensure that the plant stood on its feet. Th e governor added that the suff ering of the banana farmers at the hands of middlemen would a thing of the past as the players would be taking their produce straight to the plant. “Surplus production of baBY FATUMA JUMEAH KNA- WUNDANYI T he signing of a Sh110 million memorandum of understanding between the Taita Taveta County government and the European Union (EU) two weeks ago sets the stage for the construction of the long-awaited banana processing plant in Taveta sub-county. An excited governor Granton Samboja, who signed for the grant, revealed that once the factory was operational, more than 3,000 job opportunities would be created in the agriculturally rich border town region of Taveta. “This project will create a stronger local economy and job opportunities at our county level besides alleviating poverty among our people,” said Samboja. He said Taita Taveta county is fl ooded with bananas, a fact that makes value-addition viable, with an assured supply of raw material adding that in the said facility banana pulp and banana fl our, crisps and chips would be manufactured. Other products that would be churned out at the proposed factory are cakes, juice, jam, banana wine and canned banana, among other fi nished items. The governor noted that the project will go a long way in ensuring that farmers get a ready market for their produce as well as reducing losses incurred when bananas go to waste due to lack of a ready market. He promised that his administration would chip in with the additional Sh6.5 milnanas especially in Taveta has exposed farmers to brokers, who know that farmers have no choice but to sell to them at low rates,” said the county boss. “Th rough this project, these e farmers will enjoy their sweat which at the moment they felt that it was going to waste. y e. d e said when he addressed the business community who had converged in Wundanyi town recently. Samboja noted that it was hurting to see farmers especially in the border town of Taveta toiling in the shambas day in day out tending their bananas only to be sell them at throwaway prices in Kongowea market in Mombasa and beyond. “To add salt to injury, our produce is at times smuggled to the neighbouring country hence denying our county the much-needed revenue,” he said. He disclosed that the processing plant will be supported by a model demonstration farm on 5,000 acres at Kimondia, which will serve as a technology transfer centre and also irrigation schemes such as Challa and Kimala in Taveta sub-county, Taita Hills in Wundanyi and along Voi River in both in Taita and Voi sub-counties respectively. Taveta has more than 1,000 hectares of land for quality banana production compared to other sub-counties. Taita Taveta is among other 15 counties that will benefi t from the European Union fi - nancial support that is meant to facilitate the implementation of Local Economic Development (LED) projects. Other counties that have This project will create a stronger local economy and job opportunities at our county level besides alleviating poverty among our people – Governor Granton Samboja benefi ted from the grant include Makueni, Nyandarua, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot, Wajir, Kwale, Kisii, Kisumu, Samburu, Baringo, Marsabit, Tana-River, Laikipia, and Migori. Among other issues agreed upon with the EU include the improvement of quality bananas, infrastructure development and reviving of the existing banana cooperative societies. Farmers among them the former governor John Mruttu who was interviewed welcomed the plant saying that it should have been constructed as early as yesterday. They lamented that they were tired of unscrupulous middlemen who had exploited them for a very long time not to mention thieves who have been having a fi eld day in their farms. To protect her farm from such vice, Julita Ndoro who owns the Kisembia farm near Njoro springs had taken to branding her bananas as a form of identifi cation. Ndoro who entirely depends on banana farming as an income generating activity said that with the advent of the factory, theft would be a thing of the past as she would be delivering her produce there. Mruttu observed that the border town of Taveta was regarded as the bread basket of the Coast region but farmers’ eff orts are being frustrated by uncontrolled stealing of farm produce and exploitation by middlemen despite the good roads leading there. “Th e bulk of banana produce sold at the Kongowea wholesale market in Mombasa TOP: The Taita Taveta deputy governor Ms Majala Mlagui admires a big banana bunch which one of the farmers had brought during a recent farmers field day in Taveta. ABOVE: Former Taita Taveta governor John Mruttu who is now an agribusiness farmer displays a banana which is ready to be harvested in his nine acre farm in Kimala in the outskirts of the border town of Taveta. comes from Taveta and even in the capital city of Nairobi which is rather expensive for a common farmer but now the plant would reduce such costs,” said the former county boss who is now solely engaged in agribusiness whereby he also grows tomatoes apart from the bananas. Th e former county boss observed that Taveta has a lot of potential for wealth creation through agribusiness which could go a long way in improving the living standards of farmers and Kenya’s economic growth as a whole, thanks to the manufacturing plant. “In order to save our bananas whose types are grand Nain, Williams small and giant Cavendish we have formed committees across our four locations of Chengoni, Mboghoni, Njoro and Kimala whose work is to ensure that our bananas are not stolen,” said Mruttu when asked to comment on the theft. Th e former county chief executive offi cer has a nine-acre farm under bananas in Kimala village on the outskirts of Taveta town. He also grows paw paws, watermelon, lemon, oranges and also tomatoes. He also keeps dairy cattle, poultry, and rabbits not to mention two fi sh ponds. Our economic status would defi nitely go up through the value addition and processing of our bananas,” Samboja Hectares of land available in Taita Taveta for quality banana production More than 3,000 job opportunities will be created under joint EUcounty project
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