State begins establishment of cotton ginnery in Homa Bay

The government has announced plans to establish a ginnery to boost cotton production in the area.

The State has secured a piece of land in Kendu Bay town where the ginnery will be built.

Industrialisation Principal Secretary Francis Owino, Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga and Rivatex Managing Director Thomas Kipkurgat inspected the site on Friday after meeting cotton farmers from the county.

Mr Owino said the new ginnery will start cotton processing by October this year.

He said the government had started the process of securing a title deed for the land.

The PS announced that farmers will receive cotton seeds for planting season that begins in March.

"The cotton that will be harvested after this planting season will be processed here. We don't want cotton farmers to continue suffering," said Owino.

Wanga said the ginnery would protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen.

"Cotton farming is infiltrated by middlemen who buy cotton from local farmers and take it to other counties due to lack lack of a ginnery," she said.

"Farmers are forced to rely on the middlemen because of huge cost of transportation involved," she said.

She said establishment of the ginnery would promote value addition to cotton produced in the area, thereby maximising profits.

Cotton farming in Homa Bay is mainly done in Rachuonyo North, Ndhiwa and Suba sub-counties.