Rice mill completion sows seeds of joy for farmers

Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime has announced that the construction of the multi-million shilling rice milling value-addition plant is complete and will be commissioned soon.

The governor disclosed that plant has cost more than Sh45 million and will employ dozens of local unemployed youths.

"This is to announce today that the rice value-addition plant is now complete and will be commissioned soon," Mwadime said during the Jamhuri Day celebrations at Moi Stadium in Voi town on Thursday.

The celebrations were, however, marked by a poor turnout, as local leaders were conspicuously absent. Only Voi MP Abdi Chome attended the event. County Commissioner Josephine Onunga read the presidential speech.

Mwadime described the project as the first of its kind to be implemented by the Taita-Taveta county administration since the inception of devolution in 2013.

"This is the first of its kind mega project since I was inaugurated into office two years ago. It is a historic day. It has been a long journey to start the project that will change the fortunes of the local community," Mwadime said.

In addition, the rice farmers in Taveta sub-county now have a reason to smile after the county government completed the project, which took four months to finish.

Mwadime disclosed that the project is aimed at addressing the massive cartels and middlemen from Kenya and neighbouring Tanzania, who have constantly been exploiting rice farmers with impunity in the region.

Esther Masamo, a rice farmer, said they had been exploited for years by middlemen who buy the farm produce cheaply and later sell it at exorbitant prices.

"We have been exploited for years, and the construction of the value-addition project will end the suffering from cartels," she said.