Stakeholders sign Sh32.9m agreement to revive cotton farming

BURA, KENYA: Cotton farming in Kenya is on the recovery path, thanks to an ambitious programme being fast tracked by value chain players.  

The programme launched yesterday in Tana River County aims at filling gaps along value chain, equipping farmers with farm inputs, credit, provision of extension services and linking them to the market.

On Tuesday, various national government agencies, county government of Tana River County and private sector actors signed a Sh32.9 million agreement with cotton farmers.  

Anthony Mureithi, the interim director of fibres crops directorate under the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) said the initiative is part of other strategies being fast tracked to help farmers revive cotton farming.

In 1970s and 1980s when cotton farming was second in the country in terms of employment after public service, Bura used to produce 30 percent of the national production.

“We are working even with county governments and other players to ensure farmers go back to cotton farming. 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,” Mr. Mureithi.  

The agreement was signed between Bura Farmers Community Based Organization (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  (KAAA).  

The value chain players will implement a four months 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.

Bura MP Ali Wario welcomed the new initiative saying farmers stand to gain after a long period grappling with grinding poverty among other miseries.  

“The launch of this programme will help in maximizing farmers’ income and thus create more wealth in the county and technology transfer,” said Mr. Wario.

He urged farmers to work with the value chain players in order for the project to succeed.  Under the new agreement, farmers will receive credit from AFC to finance land preparation, seed acquisition, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, spraying labour and harvesting.

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 and offer ginner, minimum of Sh150 per kilogramme of lint price at the time of purchase based on the world market situation.  

Farmers representatives Stephen Njaramba hailed the project saying cotton farming will be fully revived. “We have been suffering from poor pay and sometimes not even paid by other ginneries and middle men. But under this organized approach we have confidence and assurance that we will be paid our dues after delivery of cotton,” said Mr. Njaramba.  

Lillian Wanjiru who has been farming cotton since 1985 said the new project signals new hope to farmers in the county and country at large.   The hybrid seed sourced from Israel Wanjiru said if well attended can produce 5000 kilogramme per acre though agronomists’ recommendations put production at 2000 kilogrammes per acre.   

Mureithi explained the new model involves introduction of contractual farming as it guarantees farmers good prices and markets as well.

Farmers are thus expected to boost their production which currently is far much below compared to the industry potential. Kenya produces 30,000 bales annually against spinning capacity demand of about 10,000 metric tonnes of lint. 

To bridge the gap, Kenya government 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.  

Mureithi addressing farmers in Bura area confirmed that the national government received financial and technical assistance from the development partners to establish a national classifying system thus joining other countries in the world which are the same facility.

The application of the system will be able to bring about ease of doing business in lint trading as ginners and buyers will now easily interact and trade through the established database whether the buyer is aboard or within the Kenyan boundaries.  The system eliminates subjectivity in determining the quality of lint, hence it is reliable.