More than 400 farmers in Tharaka Ward, Mwingi North Sub-County, are set to benefit from a KSh13 million green gram aggregation and storage facility aimed at helping them get better returns from their produce.
The facility, being supported under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), received a major boost on Monday after Kitui County Executive for Agriculture and Livestock Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele led the issuance of a KSh13 million cheque to Tharaka Thagucio Arimi Cooperative Society.
For years, the cooperative has been aggregating green grams at church premises, a situation that has limited its capacity to properly store, handle and add value to farmers’ produce. The new facility is expected to provide farmers with a dedicated space for aggregation and storage while strengthening collective marketing and bargaining.
The cooperative currently aggregates an average of about 150 metric tonnes of green grams every year. Once equipped, the facility will have pallets, a destoner, threshing machines and weighing equipment to improve the quality and handling of the produce while helping reduce post-harvest losses.
The project will directly benefit more than 400 farmers and 17 Common Interest Groups, while an estimated 1,100 farmers are expected to benefit indirectly through improved aggregation, markets and value-chain opportunities.
For farmers who have long depended on individual marketing of their produce, the investment offers an opportunity to negotiate from a stronger position by pooling their harvest. Better storage and handling could also allow them to manage their produce more effectively instead of being forced to sell immediately after harvest.
Dr. Kimwele also led the support of Mwiruthi Farmer Field School, a 24-member Common Interest Group involved in green gram production. The group received KSh100,000 to support field demonstrations and farmer training aimed at improving farming skills, production and productivity.
The initiatives form part of Governor Dr. Julius Malombe’s agricultural transformation agenda under The Kitui Promise, which places emphasis on value addition, market access and improving incomes for smallholder farmers.
Dr. Kimwele was accompanied by Chief Officers, Directors, NAVCDP officials and other technical officers during the support activities on Monday, September 28, 2026.
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