EABL taps Murang’a farmers in sorghum deal

East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) has announced a multi-million-shilling contract farming plan expected to benefit about 1,000 farmers in the lower parts of Murang’a County

The farmers will be contracted to plant sorghum which the brewer will buy from them at an agreed price of Sh48 per kilo.

The deal targets lower Murang’a residents who don’t have a reliable cash crop and thus no stable source of livelihood for them. Eric Kiniti, Group Corporate Relations Director at EABL said the farmers will be trained on best farming practices to help them produce quality sorghum.

The farmers, he said, will be supplied with the planting seeds and farm inputs to help start off their farming adding they will also get technical assistance from extension officers in their farms. “This deal will bring a new lease to the residents of lower Murang’a as it will give them an alternative source of income,” Kinitu said.

He explained that this is part of the programme dubbed “iko pesa kwa sorghum” that has been rolled out in various parts of the country to have farmers grow the sorghum and the company buys from them.

In a parallel programme by the county government, the farmers will also be supplied with planting materials for boma rhodes hay which they will be selling to the dairy farmers.

Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata said demand for fodder in the area is very high and this will be a good opportunity for the farmers to cash in.