Kirinyaga Farmers To Benefit From State Of The Art Seedling Propagation Centre (Photos)

The Kirinyaga County government is constructing a modern seedlings propagation center in Kangai, Mwea sub-county that is set to benefit tomato farmers.

Speaking on Monday, March 4, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru said the construction of the unit will be completed by the end of this financial year.

She noted that the project will effectively address the longstanding challenges that the local farmers have been facing when it comes to sourcing high-quality and affordable seedlings and boosting agricultural productivity in the region.

“Kirinyaga being a rural county, we have Wezesha as our version of the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Through diversified agricultural activities, we are empowering small-scale farmers to produce more and earn more from agriculture thus improving their standards of living,” said Waiguru.

The Kirinyaga Governor noted that the seedling propagation center will provide farmers with high-yielding and disease-tolerant tomato seedlings so to increase production and lower the cost of farming.

Governor Waiguru also said the center is part of her elaborate plan to position the county farmers as the major beneficiaries of the upcoming Sagana Agro-Industrial Park where farm produce aggregation centers and processing factories are being put up.

“Availability of the facilities will enable farmers reap more from value addition and will save them from produce post-harvest losses. By and by, these interventions are aimed at improving the living standards of the county farmers,” she added.

Kirinyaga County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock, Veterinary, and Fisheries John Gachara mentioned that the flagship project will contribute to increased tomato production in the area as well as other horticultural crops whose seedlings will also be propagated at the center.

"The price of seedlings has been on the rise, growing from Ksh.9 to Ksh.15. With the establishment of this center, farmers will have access to quality seedlings at a subsidized price, enabling them to maximize their profits,” said Gachara.