admin_county July 14, 2020

County to set up agro-processing plant in Kabazi

The County Government through a technical committee will oversee the establishment of an agro-processing plant in Kabazi in a move geared towards the economic empowerment of Kabazi residents through agri-business.

The committee led by the County Director of Trade Ms. Dorcas Njeri and her counterparts from the Agriculture department will handle the issue which relates to the value addition of agricultural commodities in the County.

The project by the County government is done in conjunction with Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC).

This comes even as Nakuru County under the leadership of H.E Governor Lee Kinyanjui recently launched a sustainable campaign to revitalize avocado farming in a bid to unlock untapped potential running into billions of shillings in the regional and international markets.

The committee will work with a multi-stakeholder committee comprising of churches in the region as trustees to help realize the achievement of the project.

County Director of Trade Ms. Dorcas Njeri said ICDL will carry out the feasibility study of the project while the County government will provide them with secondary data to supplement primary data that will be collected during the survey.

“ As a department of trade, we will be linking the farmers, traders with the national agencies like the ICDC and also through the finance bill and a cooperative bill recently signed into law by the governor we will be able to offer loaning facilities to traders and farmers to help them realize such objectives in value addition,” said Ms. Dorcas.

Though the proposed project will be based in Kabazi ward, the committee said the agro-processing plant will have the capacity to serve other surrounding sub-counties and even other neighboring Counties.

County Agriculture Development Officer Mr. Patrick Kinyanjui however called on the need for farmer-based cooperative to collaborate with ICDL in establishing the pant to promote ownership by the community.

Other technical committee members who attended the meeting include former Permanent Secretary Madam Joyce Nyamwea, MCA Peter Mbae, John Ndungu ICDL representative, and other church representatives led by their chairman Fr. Francis Ndegwa of Catholic Church.