Lobby wants Makueni to buy farmers' mangoes to end post-harvest losses

Makueni Civil Society Network member Ruth Maingi reading out the statement accompanied by her colleagues on Wednesday/Musembi Nzengu.

Civil society groups in Makueni want the county government to increase funding for the purchase of fruits from farmers by at least Sh100 million.

Speaking in Wote town on Wednesday, Makueni Civil Society Network leaders said the money will ensure mop of all the produce and prevent post-harvest losses of mangoes, avocados, and pixies which the county’s major high-yield crops.

The call comes amid a crisis at the Kalamba Fruit Processing Plant, which has limited capacity and has locked out many farmers.

Chairman Joseph Kioko said the Sh13.9 million allocated by the county to the plant is insufficient, considering the volume of mangoes produced locally.

“We toured the processing plant following complaints from farmers over rotting fruits due to delayed uptake. They have been forced to seek alternative, unreliable outlets,” Kioko said.

In a statement read by Ruth Maingi, the lobbies said only 870 tonnes of mangoes had been processed, producing 865 drums of puree — a negligible fraction of total production. The plant currently absorbs only  eight percent of Makueni’s mangoes.

The CSO called on the county government to link farmers with dependable markets, invest in cold storage, and promote public-private partnerships.

They also urged farmers to innovate by drying mangoes, packaging mango flakes, producing avocado oil, and processing turmeric powder, arguing that these steps could transform the agricultural sector.

“Huge opportunities exist both with private companies and independent processing. The county can succeed by supporting cooperative and aggregated models,” the statement said.