Kenya Rural Electricity Authority has promised to connect power to a small holder farming community in Nyakach constituency to assist them in milling their rice.
Gem Rae Farmers Cooperative Society got the promise through Kisumu County executive member for Water and energy Barack Abonyo.
The cooperative society got a donation of a rice mill from Food and Agriculture Organization a year ago and could not operate due to lack of electricity.
Kisumu County head of the electricity authority Denis Langat said plans are underway to connect the building that houses the rice mill by December.
“Power will be here by mid next month. We will make sure we have it up and running by that time,” said Langat.
The chairman of the society Charles Olare said farmers will be relieved if power can be connected to their building, adding that rice farmers have lost a lot of money in the hands of middlemen, and if the rice mill can operate then they will save thousands of money.
“Our members are being exploited by middlemen and if power is connected and we start milling our rice, then farmers will benefit big from their produce,” added Olare.
He said the rice mill is also capable of packaging the rice for direct marketing, further promising that the county government will ensure power is connected.
Abonyo said rice farmers toil in the fields but get little in return, noting that the rice mill, once operationalized will help farmers add value to their rice.
“We want to see our packaged rice in the market, retail shops, and even supermarkets. What we see is rice from Pakistan yet we also produce rice here,” said Abonyo.