[Miraa farmer. Photo/businessdailyafrica.com]
President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed the release of Sh1.2 billion to implement recommendations which will see the profitability of Miraa farming.
The Head of State issued the directive on the cash which was allocated earlier, after he received a report presented to him by a Task Force he formed to give recommendations on the miraa sector, at State House, Nairobi.
The government has further allocated another Sh1 billion, in the budget that was presented last week, for promoting the miraa sector.
The president noted that all priority recommendations by the task force should be implemented within the year.
“The money that was allocated will now be released and it will be used in accordance with the recommendations of the task force,” said the president, Tuesday.
Key among the immediate recommendations of the Miraa Task Force is providing seed capital for farmers to access affordable credit.
The government would facilitate the setting up of SACCOs so that farmers can access the credit in an organised manner.
According to Uhuru, his administration would also set up a scientific study at KEMRI in collaboration with the EU with a view of developing a scientific basis for getting the restrictions lifted on the crop in parts of Europe.
Another immediate recommendation was the registration of Miraa farmers to facilitate target intervention and eliminate possibility of fraud.
The report also recommended for the Establishment of Miraa Research Institute (MRI) and support for research on the development of various new Miraa products and utilisations.