Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua will meet Avocado farmers’ representatives on Tuesday to engage them on pertinent issues they have raised recently and look into their concerns to improve their earnings.
Speaking while attending a church service and Thanksgiving Service of Technical, Vocational Education and Training Principal Secretary Esther Mworia at ACK St Francis Ciamanda Church in Kyeni South, Embu County, the DP assured farmers that the government is committed to addressing issues bedeviling the sector to ensure the farmers reap maximum returns from the business.
“I have convened a meeting between Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Mithika Linturi and officials of avocado farmers to address the issues affecting the farmers and find the way forward,” said Gachagua.
The Tuesday meeting is in response to the fruit farmers’ call for interventions for better income and expansion of the global market for Kenyan produce.
According to Gachagua, the government is aiming to improve farmers’ production and livelihoods, adding that the country’s envoys have also been instructed to explore and expand the export market for Kenya’s produce.
Citing prices of macadamia nuts, the DP said since the Kenya Kwanza administration came to power the price has shot up from Sh20 per kilogram in 2022 to Sh120 in 2024.
“The price of macadamia had gone down to Sh20 in 2022 but has gone up to over Sh120 because of efforts by the current administration. Tea farmers received huge bonuses last year, we have hopes they will get even better pay this year,” he said.
At the same time, Gachagua said President William Ruto has performed in lowering the cost of living, reviving the country’s economy, and improving the income of smallholder farmers since the Kenya Kwanza administration took power.
“President William Ruto inherited a beaten economy and huge debts. But he has settled and managed the situation, the economy is recovering and foreign debts are being paid. The price of the dollar in forex exchange is down and the price of unga is down.
“The cost of living is also going down. We have assisted the President and he is working hard, we can see the fruits of his work. Let us be patient with him and we will fully enjoy the fruits of his efforts,” said the Deputy President.
Emphasizing that the Ruto Administration is supporting crop production alongside reforms in key sub-sectors targeting to boost the economy, the Deputy President said the government has set aside Sh800 million to upgrade the New KCC Embu Milk cooling plant to a processing plant.
