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The government has spent more than Sh5 billion to modernise the Moi University-owned Rivatex EA Ltd in Eldoret in the past one year, Industry Principal Secretary Juma Mukhwana said yesterday.

He said the factory facelift by instaltion of the state-of-the-art machines will open up new opportunities for cotton farmers.

Dr Mukhwana said 24 cotton-growing counties have already been identified to ensure constant supply of the raw material which will see 385,000 acres put under cotton up from 89,000 acres last year.

“We are pushing for the development of local industries. This will have far-reaching consequences on economy,” he said.  

“We are putting a lot of effort to revitalise the cotton industry. I urge farmers to plant the crop to reap fully from the sector,” said Mukhwana while touring Rivatex.

He said the government plans to double cotton production as it announced new prices for cotton from Sh52 to Sh72 per kilo to woo more farmers.

Mukhwana also disclosed that they will distribute seeds ahead of long rains in the 24 cotton growing counties.

The State, he further said, plans to distribute more than 27 tonnes of cotton seeds to support farmers increase yields.

According to the PS, Rivatex consumes 10,000 bales of cotton daily out of which 3000 is locally sourced.

He said that the government is committed to ensuring that textile products are produced locally in order to support the sector. “Government agencies are making their garments in our local textile firms as a commitment in promoting Kenya produced products.  We are in the process of reviving cotton ginneries which had stalled,” said Mukhwana.

Governors who attended a forum in Eldoret pushed for more incentives and seeds to double production of the crop.

Governors Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) and Paul Otuoma of Busia said that the textile sector faces acute shortages of the quality seeds to revitalise the sector.

Wanga said the high cost of Bt cotton seeds was discouraging farmers from venturing into the sector as the devolved targets 40,000 acres.

Cheboi stated that there is a need for a Cotton Development Fund levy to be established to support local farmers access affordable farm inputs to increase production. He also stressed that most farmers in the region struggle to access cotton seeds leading to low production, noting that cotton cultivation was a solution to perennial insecurity.

Revamping equipment

Rivatex has already entered into a partnership with counties which come under the North Rift Economic Bloc (NOREB) in a bid to boost its operations following the revamping of its equipment.

The facility has been operating below capacity due to acute shortage of raw materials with only 86,000 acres of cotton currently serving the factory against a potential of 500,000 acres.

Rivatex Managing Director Thomas Kipkurgat said following the modernisation of its equipment, the company is now producing 40,000 bales of cotton a day down from 4,000 bales.

The firm has entered into tripartite agreement between farmers and ginneries across the country in a bid to shore up the cotton production.