Kwale: Cotton farming in the Coast region is set for revival with the construction of two modern ginneries in Kwale and Lamu, offering farmers a ready market and fresh economic opportunities. The Kwale ginnery, spearheaded by the national government, is nearing completion, while a Thika-based textile giant, Thika Cloth Mills (TCM), has already opened another in Lamu.
According to Kenya News Agency, the two projects are expected to benefit farmers in Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, and Taita Taveta, long crippled by lack of a ready market and high transport costs to distant ginneries in Kitui, Meru, and Makueni counties. 'This is just the beginning of a cotton revolution in the Coast. We can now farm cotton with confidence, knowing we have a ready buyer, and that it will put food on our tables,' said Asthman Mwadime, a farmer from Kwale.
Jackson Ndurya, Chair of a Kwale-based Cotton Farmers Cooperative Society PAVI, said the ginnery would restore farmers' faith in cotton farming, urging the government to fast track its completion whose operationalization is awaiting the installation of modern machines. 'Previously, we spent too much on transport. Lack of a close market discouraged many farmers who ended up ditching the crop. Now we'll deliver cotton right here at home, and that will encourage more farmers to return to cotton,' he said.
Farmers welcomed the ginneries saying other than processing lint, they would also help in value addition, producing products like cottonseed oil, animal feed, and biodiesel, which promise to expand agribusiness opportunities. Thika Clothes Mill Development Manager Hesmond Olweny said their investment in Lamu anchors the textile value chain by ensuring a steady supply of lint for the industry.
He noted that TCM, in partnership with the government, has been supplying farmers with seeds, pesticides, and technical support while raising farm-gate prices from Sh52 to Sh72 per kilo, following a presidential directive. 'Even though global cotton prices are lower, we remain committed to this rate because we believe in the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative,' Olweny said.
Kilifi farmers also expressed optimism, with Magarini Cotton Farmers Cooperative chair Raymond Charo urging timely distribution of certified seeds. 'Momentum will be lost if farmers don't receive seeds on time,' he cautioned. With Kwale and Lamu leading the charge, stakeholders say the Coast region is on the verge of a new cotton boom that could position Kenya as a key textile player globally.