Cashew nut farmers in Lamu county have welcomed the establishment of a Sh400 million factory.
The factory is being set up at Hindi and will be opened by September this year.
The more than 10,000 farmers had lost hope owing to poor infrastructure that had for decades hampered cashew nut farming, resulting in its failure to expand.
About 20 years ago, Lamu was famous for producing high quality cashews.
Key cashew nuts growing areas included Mpeketoni, Hongwe, Lake Kenyatta Schemes, Witu and Faza.
Farmers used to produce the cash crop in bulk using organic and fair-trade methods.
The Hindi cashew nut factory is being implemented by the county government in partnership with Equatorial Nut Processors, a local company. It is being supported by the British High Commissioner’s office in Kenya.
The factory is the first industry to be put up in Lamu and it is expected to help boost revenue and provide jobs for residents.
It will have a production capacity of 200,000 tonnes.
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy said the factory will create jobs for more than 1,000 residents.
“The unveiling of the first cashew nut processing plant in Hindi is a positive move in agri-processing. The factory establishment is not only historic but a pathbreaker towards unlocking Lamu’s economic potential," he said.
"The factory will create jobs, hence increasing household income and generally promote cashew nut farming in the county.”
British High Commissioner Neil Wigan has praised the move by Equatorial Nut Processors to open the Hindi factory.
Equatorial Nut Processors has been buying cashew nuts and transporting them in shells to their mother factory in Maragua, Murang’a county, thus denying Lamu residents a chance for employment.
Wigan urged the government to enhance its war on al Shabaab to pave the way for development, especially in Lamu.
He said the British government is committed to working with the Kenyan government to ensure security thrives in Lamu.
“The realisation of the cashew nut processing factory in Lamu is a culmination of the cordial relationship between the UK government and the county government of Lamu under Governor Timamy," Wigan said.
"The UK government remains committed to working with Timamy to attract investments for critical infrastructure and value chain projects.”
Equatorial Nut Processors chairman Peter Munga said the factory in Maragua has been getting little profit for the last 20 years as they had to transport cashew nuts in shells for more than 400 kilometres.
“We are setting up a multimillion-shilling cashew nut processing plant in Lamu following favourable incentives and policies offered to us by the county leadership. Apart from providing 1,000 jobs to locals, we also intend to empower farmers to grow more cashew nuts,” he said.
Lamu agriculture executive James Gichu said the county will reclaim its cashew nut farming lost glory through provision of seedlings and other assistance to farmers.
“Our plan is to make Lamu the leading cashew nut producer in the region,” he said.
Julius Mwangi, a farmer in Mpeketoni, said the industry will motivate them to grow more cashews.
“We were discouraged by the fact that there has been no reliable market for our produce. That's why most of us have cut down the cashew nut trees and planted alternative crops. The setting up of the Hindi factory is a new dawn that will prompt more farmers to start growing cashew nuts,” he said.
Fatma Bakari, a farmer in Faza, said Lamu was among the three leading counties in the Coast in cashew nuts production. Others are Kilifi and Kwale.
“Middlemen have exploited us for years by buying our cashew nuts at very low prices. They have always controlled the prices to the detriment of those dependent on cashew nut farming. The factory being set up at Hindi will save us from these frustrations,” she said.
