Micro-enterprise agency to exit Taita-Taveta after five years

A rural initiative that has been instrumental in promoting sustainable economic growth, agricultural productivity, food security and income to smallholder farmers will fold up its activities in Taita-Taveta County this year.

Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust (MESPT) chief executive Rebecca Amukhoye said the organisation will end its five-year activities in May 2024.

She said this decision was arrived at after the project succeeded in contributing to enterprising solutions that have impacted positively the lives of rural farmers in various agricultural value chains. This has led to job creation in the region that traditionally depends on rain-fed agriculture.

"Our five-year project is ending in May next year, and we are happy to report that we have achieved our desired goals of achieving food security, income and creating wealth for poverty and unemployment all aviation to the rural folk," said Amukhoye.

MESPT started working with smallholder farmers in 2020 - supporting and enhancing financial services sectors of the economy, safety systems and increasing agricultural production in selected value chains in the region. Taita -Taveta is one of the food basket counties in the coastal region. "We have been instrumental in promoting conventional and organic banana farming in the county since 2020," said Amukhoye.

Speaking in Taita Sub-County after inspecting projects implemented by MESPT, Amukhoye said the agency leaves behind other investors like Taita-Taveta University (TTU) and Orana Consortium, which deals in fruit-based raw materials for dairy products, beverages and bakery products to take over from where they had left.

Orana has pledged to complete and equip the multi-million shillings stalled banana processing plant in Taveta Sub County.

"We have left farmers in safe hands. TTU and Orana Consortium will now continue implementing agricultural programmes to empower farmers to greater heights of development. And as far as we are concerned, we have achieved a lot in terms of promoting sustainable agricultural production, facilitating farmers to markets and capacity building of farmers organisations," she stated.

MESPT, TTU and the county government jointly financed the establishment of the Sh10 million tissue culture bananas laboratory. According to Taita-Taveta University Vice Chancellor Prof Simyu Barasa, the project will drive agricultural innovation, sustainability and economic growth in the region.