Farmers in Kithendu Market, Machakos County, have today appealed to the County Government to build a county-based factory for their mango fruits.
The farmers stated that they have good quality mangoes ranging from apple mangoes to the Tommy, and the normal indigenous mangoes, but that they are saddened about the lack of market for their fruits hence end up making big loses. They said that they have been left with few options as they are producing a great quantity of mangos this season, and end up selling their mangoes at throw-away prices to buyers from Nairobi or Garissa County. These urban traders then proceed to make big profits unlike the farmers themselves.
The situation exists in part because of the short shelf-life the mangos have, they farmers said that if they didn’t sell at the very low prices their fruits would to rot.
“When the mangoes are in season they ripen in big quantities and we have no market to sell them at the prices they are worth. The buyers from Nairobi and others from Garissa come to the shambas and buy one apple mango at 2 or 3 shillings at most. While in Nairobi they sell at 20 to 30 shillings. We are at a big loss and we ask the County government to put up a fruit factory nearby where we can sell and they are used to make for instance fruit juice.” Said Wambua Nguku, a mango farm owner.
Mary Wanza who is also a farmer along the Yatta Canal, stated that the Mango season is around December to March and so the government should help boost the farmer’s effort. “I support the factory to be set up not only for mango fruits, but also for the different fruits produced in Machakos County, and since the roads linking different towns are good, transportation will be easy.”
The farmers affected by the situation are the farmers along the Yatta Canal which are Kithimani and Nigeria a market in Yatta sub-County in Machakos County. Should a factory be established the farmers seek value addition which should therefore deliver the farmers far higher earnings than they would have received only selling the freshly harvested mangoes.