Lake region governors rally support for textile industry

Governors in cotton-growing counties in the lake region have resolved to support the collapsed textile industry.

The county chiefs at the fifth Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) summit held in Siaya on January 14 and 15 unanimously agreed to support cotton growing, which more than a decade ago played an essential role in supporting the textile industry. The bloc has 14 counties.

Among the resolutions passed at the end of the summit on Wednesday last week was that counties constituting LREB will focus on the cotton, apparel and textile sectors as their fifth flagship project.

Other flagship plans include the establishment of a regional bank, the expansion of maritime transport in Lake Victoria, the revival of the ailing sugar sector and the conservation of water towers.

“We will partner with national government agencies including Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, the Lake Basin Development Authority, the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation, Maseno University, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology to develop and implement a strategy on cotton, textile and apparel (CTA) revival to reduce poverty and unemployment,” a communiqué released after the summit read.

County chiefs present during the conference included Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), James Ongwae (Kisii), John Nyangarama (Nyamira), Hillary Barchok (Bomet) and Wycliffe Wangamati (Bungoma).

Others were Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay), Sospeter Ojaamong’ (Busia), Wilber Ottichilo (Vihiga) and Cornel Rasanga (Siaya) who was the host.

The governor’s resolution came a month after a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta on December 19, 2019, approved the cultivation Bt cotton in the country.

Bt cotton is a high yielding cotton variety and an insect-resistant transgenic crop designed to combat the bollworm.

The commercial farming of the plant will ensure farmers earn more from the crop through increased production, the government said.

The cotton variety is expected to boost the manufacturing pillar of the Big Four agenda, where Kenya seeks to establish itself as a regional leader in textile and apparel production.

In Busia, Governor Ojaamong has already approved the adoption of Bt cotton, saying the collapsed cotton sector was once a pillar of economic growth in Busia and its adoption will earn farmers more money thus uplifting their living standards.

“Cabinet’s approval for commercial farming of Bt cotton hybrids has given my government the green light to commence the growth of the crop which had undergone trials at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation for more than five years,” the former Amagoro MP said on December 19, last year.

“Cotton farmers in the county should take advantage of this new cotton variety to embrace cotton farming to boost their incomes.”

He said there is a market for cotton at Rivatex East Africa in Eldoret, and selling cotton fibre should not be something to worry any more.

The government has already announced plans to revive dormant textile mills in a Sh1 billion boost that is also projected to recover Kisumu-based Kisumu Cotton Mills (Kicomi).

The government says bringing back of the mills to life can help generate over 7,000 direct jobs.

The government in July 2019 said that if it succeeds in activating operations at Rivatex in Eldoret, Kicomi in Kisumu and at Nanyuki-based Mount Kenya Textiles (Mountex), this would bring on board at least 1.3 million Kenyans engaged in direct cotton cultivation as well as value addition.

Kenya has the capacity to produce over 260,000 bales of cotton annually, but currently produces only 28,000 bales, industry data shows.

The country produces only 572 kilos per hectare against a possible 2,500 kilos per hectare.

Among the issues that have hurt the production of the fibre crop include soil depletion, low income for smallholder farmers and continued use of inappropriate pesticides and fertilisers.

But with the adoption of high-yielding cotton varieties such as Bt cotton and with the support from the leadership of the 14 LREB counties, the sector may be headed for a better future, Aggrey Emojong, a cotton farmer in Teso North said on December 29.

“We are waiting for the delivery of Bt cotton seeds in March and April,” he said.

“I went to Kirinyaga, where the national trials for Bt cotton were done and I can assure you that farmers are going to benefit. One plant has more than 200 seeds and is much better than the variety we have planted for years.”

To reinforce government’s commitment to reviving the textile industry, Industrialisation Principal Secretary Francis Owino on January 17 said President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration has released Sh650 million to be invested in the revival of Rivatex East Africa in Eldoret.

“When we were closing 2019, the president directed the re-organisation of the budget so that we focus on the Big Four agenda. Money was redirected from other sectors deemed not very vital to fund the Big Four agenda, and we succeeded because we received Sh650 million which we injected in Rivatex to promote cotton production,” the PS said in Ang’urai while on a tour of Teso North subcounty.

“This is money that will come before the end of January. The only responsibility that I will leave here with is to go to Rivatex and tell them that Teso is a region that grows cotton and their contribution is big.”

The government, he said, will also work closely with leaders from cotton-growing counties to explore the possibility of promoting public-private-partnerships to aid the revival of collapsed cotton ginneries.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in June 2018 estimated that cotton growing alone in Kenya could support at least 200,000 farmers.

However, the organisation says only about 30,000 smallholder growers are presently actively engaged in the cultivation of the crop.

Industry players are capitalising on the adoption of Bt cotton revitalise the sector decades after it was battered by constant crop disease attacks, changing weather conditions and poor  management of the industry.

Industry data shows that out of the 21 counties that have favourable soils and climate to support cotton growth nationally, only 20,717 hectares were under cotton production by close of 2017.

Teso North MP Oku Kaunya on January 17 urged the government to prioritise the crops cultivation, saying it was one way of alleviating poverty in cotton growing zones.

“Teso and Busia depended on cotton so much that it was the best cash crop,” he said at Ang’urai market in his constituency.

“What we are appealing is for the government to revive the ginneries and support the farmers because currently, essentially we do not have a cash crop.”

“Tobacco funds are so meagre. So cotton is the best cash crop to be revived.”