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The County Government of Murang’a has handed over the Murang’a County Cooperatives milk factory to farmers, Governor Irungu Kang’ata has disclosed.

This even as the County boss launched a Sh320 million milk and mango farmer’s subsidy voucher programme designed to benefit more than 41,000 farmers across the central Kenya county.

The programme dubbed ‘Inua Mkulima’ initiative seeks to allow farmers to redeem their proceeds whenever they need to pay for medical services, school fees and purchasing several farm inputs.

The new initiative will see farmers issued with cards with amounts capped at Sh2,400 every three months.
Speaking during a session with members of the Senate Trade, Industrialisation and Tourism Committee chaired by Kajiado Senator Lenku Ole Kanar, Kang’ata explained that his administration changed the model saying that the move was aimed at benefiting more producers.

“The benefits that will go the farmers have now increased. This new move will now standardize support and ensure that most farmers get more county support. We want to ensure that our farmers are able to go to the hospital and get treated without worrying about the expense,” Kanga’ta told the Senators.

In order for the farmer to benefit from various subsidies, the farmer needs to join a cooperative union, given that the programme gives farmers power to bargain better prices in the market for their produce.

He explained to the lawmakers that for a farmer to redeem support, he or she needs to approach a shop, a school or even an agrovet and give the card plus a mobile phone number and thereafter a short code message is sent to the farmer’s phone for authorization and subsequently the desired goods or service is issued.

In addition, Kang’ata said that the newly re-launched milk processing plant will be run by Murang’a County Creameries Cooperative Union, an organisation consisting of 33 cooperatives from Murang’a.

“They have taken over assets and liabilities and are best placed to run it. To boost milk and mango farmers, the county has set aside Sh300m as subsidy to the groups,” said Kang’ata.

According to the Muranga county chief, the factory was run down and piled debts running into millions of shillings.