Farmers to earn high income from avacados

By Elizabeth Angira

Worth Noting:

• Mr Ongwae said that  they have negotiated with investors to put up industries particularly in the area of value addition to local produce, as a means of improving earnings to farmers and creating employment.
• “The avocado is cultivated in nearly every household in Kisii and it has contributed greatly in improving nutrition and poverty alleviation,”Mr Ongwae said.
• At first the Avacado was majorly planted as subsistence use now it is going to be commercialized.
• The Governor said his government shall strive to create conducive environment for both local and foreign investors.

Reprieve for farmers have the county opens Avacado processing plant and signs a memorandum of understanding with the Avo Fresh investor.

Speaking at the Agriculture Training Centre during the flagging off the new trucks that will facilitate transportation of the fruits from aggregation centers from 9 sub counties, UK Deputy High commissioner to Kenya Julius Court said that the factory will create employment to the public, produce edible oil and cosmetical purposes.

Mr Court said that this is a great milestone for the county to add value addition to the produce.

“This is a great achievement of empowering the farmers, “he said.

Mr Court said that they will continue with Kisii county to foster development in various sectors.

He said that they will prioritize investment in programmes that will transform the county into a middle-income economy.

Governor James Ongwae said that the factory will effectively make use of Avocadoes whose availability will boast of as a region but has for a long time had no major economic benefit to our farmers.

The factory shall also go hand in hand in providing employment opportunities to our many jobless youths and start the path towards our social and economic sustainability as a county.

Mr Ongwae said that  they have negotiated with investors to put up industries particularly in the area of value addition to local produce, as a means of improving earnings to farmers and creating employment.

“The avocado is cultivated in nearly every household in Kisii and it has contributed greatly in improving nutrition and poverty alleviation,”Mr Ongwae said.

At first the Avacado was majorly planted as subsistence use now it is going to be commercialized.

The Governor said his government shall strive to create conducive environment for both local and foreign investors.

His government through the ministry of agriculture has distributed subsidized and enhanced Hass Variety of avocado seedlings to producer groups with an aim of achieving full factory capacity of 350 metric tonnes per day.

The factory will receive avacados from all parts of the county and produce 50 tons per day

He cites that the farmers in the county have registered avacado cooperative through which they will mobilize their commodity and sell it as a group and it will be easy for them to negotiate the best prices both at the local and international market.

He said the move will allow the factory to operate 24-hour thereby creating more employment opportunities for the youth.

The county in 2019 had talks with the investor Fernando Marques, Director, Avofresh processors limited will buy the avocado through farmers’ cooperative society at collection centres and pay them every week.

Marques said he requires 100 tons of avocados to process every day, adding that he has been in the fruit processing business for long and lauded the UK government for supporting him with the vehicles.