The Mountain Journal Crew in Kirinyaga
Kirinyaga County’s first exclusive tomato
market is set to be complete by October,
offering a conducive environment for tomato farmers to aggregate their produce
for sale.
This was said by Governor Mumbi Waiguru
when she toured the upcoming market at Makutano, Mwea constituency to assess
the progress of its construction.
Waiguru said that the market, which will
accommodate about 500 tomato traders is
a great relief since it has come at a time when tomato traders who have been
selling by the roadside have been displaced by the ongoing expansion of the Kenol-Sagana-Marua
dual carriage.
“The market will provide a conducive
environment for our traders and shield them from harsh weather conditions such
as sunshine and rain. Their produce will also be protected from getting spoilt
by mud during the rainy seasons, hence reducing post-harvest losses” said the
governor.
She
added that there will be modern toilets, adequate water supply as well as
parking space for customers within the market.
Makutano, which is the second largest tomato market in the
county after Kagio, targets wholesale and retail tomato traders from the
neighboring counties as well as some from Nairobi and Mombasa.
Kirinyaga County produces about 63,000
tons of tomatoes earning farmers around Ksh. 1.5 billion annually.
The governor said that her administration
has been supporting tomato farmers to increase production and in provision of
favourable market environment.
Under Wezesha Kirinyaga program, the
county government has also planned to construct a tomato processing factory at
Kangai with the aim of enabling farmers to add value to their produce for
better incomes.
Other markets under construction are Gathoge,Githure and Karumandi hich mainly
target avocado farmers.
The four new markets, in addition to Makutano
groceries market, Wang’uru, Kagio Cereals market, Kagio Clothes market, Kutus,
Kagumo, Kianyaga, Kiamutugu, Kerugoya, Sagana and Kibingoti bring to 15 the
number of markets that Waiguru’s administration has constructed in four years.
The governor added that partnership with the
National Government has also delivered additional markets such as Ngaru which
is almost complete while plans to construct others such as Togonye, Kandongu
and Gatwe markets are underway.
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