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The ministry of agriculture has announced plans to construct a fruit processing factory in Makueni county to tap the large produce resource in the area.
Assistant minister for agriculture Mr Gideon Ndambuki said his ministry in liaison with other relevant ministries were doing final touches to commence the construction of the factory. Mr Ndambuki said this was inline with a recent directive by President Kibaki when he toured the county.
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| Fruits worth millions of shillings go to waste in region |
The assistant minister said this at Kakuswi market where he presided over a mango fair exihibition function attended by farmers from Makueni county and outside. He said a stakeholders meeting would be convened to identify the site of the factory among other crucial undertakings.
Mr Ndambuki however advised the farmers to use the Machakos based HCDA cooling facility to preserve their produce. He at the same time urged the farmers to form co-operative groups through which to unleash their bargaining power and eliminate middlemen who exploit them through poor prices.
The fruit farmers especially the mango ones had complained how they got big losses after their produce rot in the farms for lack of market as well as preserving machines. They complained of exploitation by brokers who buy the produce at throw away prices.
The assistant minister at the same time used the occasion to distribute part of the 38 metric tones of relief seeds donated by his ministry to the local farmers.
He said the ministry will construct three large dams in the area to tap rain water which will be used in carrying out small scale irrigation for the locals. He said the ministry through the horticultural development authority had put in place better plans for soliciting good market for the produce on behalf of the farmers.
Mbooni east dc Mr Frederick Shishia, appealed to the government to assist the farmers with fertilizer saying the cost of the commodity was unaffordable by most farmers. The dc however, urged the farmers to use the little fertilizer they had to prepare their farms and catch up with the ongoing rains.
He warned the farmers not to sell or eat the relief seeds as they were not meant for consumption. Earlier the minister had reiterated that the government will not tolerate any body found selling the seeds as they were only meant for the poor and not able people.
