Three mango juice processing plants will be set up at the Coast to save farmers in the region from making losses. Agriculture minister William Ruto at the weekend said thousands of tonnes of mangoes were rotting at the only privately owned mango juice factory in Mtwapa.

He expressed his ministry’s commitment to help farmers in Tana River, Tana Delta and Kwale districts add value to the mango farming industry. Mr Ruto also announced that the ministry would give a boost to the cotton industry by introducing a new biotechnology variety in Tana River and Malindi. He told farmers in Msabaha, Malindi District, that the new variety would reduce farming costs as it does not need insecticides.

Mr Ruto disclosed that a new directorate to oversee and revamp the cotton industry countrywide had been formed. To help jump-start this vital farming industry in Coast Province, the minister announced that farmers would be supplied with free 5,000 kilogrammes of cotton seeds this planting season.

Elsewhere, Mr Ruto said the government would import 2.7 million bags of fertiliser this year to moderate prices on the market. He said the fertilisers would be sold to farmers through National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots countrywide at a subsidised price. He was speaking at the Mombasa port when he received 570,916 bags of CAN fertiliser for top dressing.

This is the second consignment of fertiliser to arrive in the country this year. The first consignment of more than 660,000 bags of DAP fertiliser arrived early this month.

Create jobs

Mr Ruto at the weekend also announced the establishment of a cashew nut authority board to boost the coastal farmers’ efforts. Speaking in Kilifi, he said the board would comprise technical experts from his ministry, private sector marketers of the crop and the local farmers. He announced the revival of Kenya Cashew Nuts Limited, saying the move would create job opportunities for the local people.

Source : Daily Nation