Plant to produce 28 tonnes of flour daily

Maize farmers in Trans Nzoia County have received a milling plant valued at Sh5 million that will help in bulk production to increase revenues.

The Nzoia Grains Cooperative Mill, which is supported by the World Bank through the Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness Programme (KAPP), will be set up in Endebbes sub-county and will have its branded product, Nzoia Maize Meal, in the market before the end of the year.

Trans Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba and Endebbes MP Robert Pukose admire a new milling machine last week. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

The Nzoia Maize Meal will be packaged in two, 10 and 20 kilogramme packets. The miller is expected to process at least 28 tonnes of flour per day.

The plant will employ at least 100 people directly and several others indirectly.

The farmers are now asking the county government to formulate policies that will limit the sale of  maize products such as flour and animal feeds from other counties to promote local products.

Governor Patrick Khaemba, who officially launched the milling plant, disclosed that the county government would  support the farmers to set up the plant.

Khaemba pledged Sh500,000 to help with the installation of the miller. He said the county government will in getting the miller up and running as soon as possible.

“We have been making calls for value addition for our produce. We are happy that we are on the right path to realising this dream,” he said.

The governor also pledged to establish other value addition enterprises to help boost the prices of produce.

Currently, most of the locally produced grains are transported to millers in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Leaders present at the launch lauded the project and pledged to  support it.

Area MP Robert Pukose said such projects directly benefitted local people living in counties.