Kitui Executive for Agriculture and Livestock Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele led the issuance of a KSh13 million cheque to Tharaka Thagucio Arimi Cooperative Society in Tharaka Ward, Mwingi North Sub-County, to support the construction and equipping of a green gram aggregation and storage facility under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP).
The facility will directly benefit more than 400 farmers and 17 Common Interest Groups (CIGs), and indirectly benefit 1,100 farmers. The cooperative has been aggregating its green grams at church premises. Providing the cooperative with a dedicated facility for storage, aggregation and value addition will go a long way towards increasing production and productivity through collective marketing and bargaining.
The cooperative aggregates an average of approximately 150 metric tonnes of green grams annually. The facility will be equipped with pallets, a destoner, threshing and weighing machines, enhancing the quality, handling and marketing of farmers’ produce while reducing post-harvest losses.
Dr. Kimwele also led the support of Mwiruthi Farmer Field School (FFS), a Common Interest Group comprising 24 members engaged in green gram production. The group received KSh100,000 to facilitate field demonstrations on green gram farming and farmer field school training, aimed at strengthening farmers’ skills and productivity.
The initiatives are in line with Governor Dr. Julius Malombe’s manifesto, _The Kitui Promise_, which prioritises agricultural transformation, value addition, market access and improved incomes for smallholder farmers across the county.
Dr. Kimwele was accompanied by a section of Chief Officers, Directors, NAVCDP officials and other technical officers.
_Monday, 28th September 2026_
