Ugandan rice farmers visit Mwea to learn new skills

Efforts of an entrepreneur to improve the rice sector in Mwea have won praise from many quarters, with farmers from Uganda visiting the area to learn from the experience.

After witnessing the exploitation of rice farmers, Charles Njiru came up with an arrangement that has not only revolutionised the sector but also improved the earnings for farmers.

Mr Njiru introduced a godown where rice farmers can preserve and dry their paddy before taking it for milling.

He said farmers who hitherto would sell their paddy from the field, were now able to preserve their harvest and sell it when the prices went up. He later introduced a rice mill.

Currently, he has accommodated more than 2,000 rice farmers who transact their rice business at Nice Rice Millers. The busy facility located in Ngurubani market is now well known and traders from all over Kenya and East Africa buy their rice from the factory.

“His model has attracted farmers from Uganda, who spent the entire weekend learning of the success from the miller with the intention to emulate the same in their country,” said David Njogu. The value-chain actors from Uganda will be in Kenya for four days and apart from visiting Nice Rice Millers, they will also interact with rice farmers in Mwea Irrigation Scheme.

A representative of Eastern Rice Millers Company in Tororo, Uganda Josiah Okeljo said they handle over 90 per cent of lowland rice produced in the country and would copy Njiru’s model to improve rice processing in Uganda.