Nyeri: More than 7,000 onion farmers in Kieni West are set to benefit from farm inputs, post-harvest handling facilities, and markets following the launch of a new onion farmers’ cooperative. The cooperative will provide farmers with a platform to pool resources to help them acquire equipment collectively and improve their bargaining power when buying inputs and marketing their produce.
According to Kenya News Agency, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen presided over the launch at St George’s, Gataragwa grounds in Nyeri. He praised President William Ruto’s Administration for introducing reforms in the agriculture sector. Murkomen stated that the government’s support for farmers is part of efforts to improve household incomes and strengthen the country’s food security. During the event, Murkomen helped raise over Sh 5 million as seed capital for the new cooperative.
Murkomen assured continued government support for similar initiatives to make agriculture a profitable source of income for local households. He delivered onion seeds worth Sh700,000 from the Ministry of Agriculture and announced plans for constructing a greenhouse and providing two onion driers to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses. Additionally, farmers will receive capacity-building support valued at Sh1 million to equip them with knowledge on modern onion farming practices.
The CS highlighted the fertilizer subsidy program as a measure to lower production costs, noting that the price of a 50-kilogramme bag had decreased from nearly Sh 7,000 in 2021 to the current Sh 2,000. He also mentioned reforms in the coffee sub-sector, where farmers’ earnings per kilogramme of cherry have increased significantly. Murkomen linked these interventions to the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), emphasizing the aim to ensure ordinary farmers benefit directly from economic activities.
Joseph Wachira, Chairman of the newly launched Kieni West Onions Farmers’ Cooperative, expressed optimism about the initiative’s potential to address perennial challenges in onion farming. He emphasized the cooperative’s priority to facilitate affordable access to seeds and inputs through collective purchasing. Wachira highlighted the high cost of inputs as a barrier to expanding onion production in Kieni.
Wachira further outlined plans to invest in onion driers and storage facilities, enabling farmers to preserve their produce while seeking better markets instead of rushing sales post-harvest. Data from Farmers Trend, an online magazine, indicates that Kenya consumes approximately 400,000 tonnes of onions annually, with local production meeting 60-70 per cent of the demand. The remaining 30-40 per cent is imported from Tanzania. Among the onion-producing areas, Kieni West is noted as the highest producer in the Mount Kenya region.
