Sh45m for cereals warehouse

The government is constructing a Sh45million drying and storage warehouse for farmers in Kirinyaga County.

According to the County Assembly majority leader John Waruri, the project is to be implemented through the Economic Stimulus Programme initiated by President Uhuru Kenyatta when he was Finance Minister.

He said it is already under construction at Njegas village in Kanyekiini ward where maize as well as rice is grown in large scale and will take one year to complete.

Poor storage conditions

Farmers will then be delivering their grains there for drying and storage before selling them at the market.

Mr Waruri said farmers have incurred heavy losses due to high moisture content of grains and poor storage conditions.

“Farmers have been unable to have their grains dried well and due to aflatoxin chemical they usually register losses every season,” he said on Tuesday.

The Kanyekiini Ward county representative said the project would be beneficial especially to farmers whose grains are destroyed by weevils and aflatoxin.

Offer employment

He said the government would oversee management of the warehouse that is expected to offer employment to youth in the county.

Acting district agricultural officer Charles Waweru said the farmers have been sensitised on the importance of the project and received it positively.

“Farmers are happy and are supporting this vital project which will even help them make high profit from their produce,” he said.

A committee comprising of farmers has been set up to manage the project once completed, he added.

The facility is tasked to handle drying 45 bags of 90 kilogramme grains per hour.