Kirinyaga County’s tomato market at Makutano will be complete by October, offering a conducive environment for tomato farmers to aggregate their produce for sale.
Governor Anne Waiguru said that the market, which will accommodate about 500 tomato traders comes at a time when the traders who have been selling by the roadside have been displaced by the ongoing expansion of the Kenol-Sagana-Marua dual carriage way.
Speaking when she toured the project the governor said the traders will move to the conducive environment for their business.
“The market will provide a conducive environment for our traders and shield them from harsh weather conditions such as sunshine and rain. Their products will also be protected from getting spoilt by mud during the rainy seasons, hence reducing post-harvest losses,” governor Waiguru said.
The governor said that there will be ablution blocks, adequate water supply as well as parking space for customers within the market.
Makutano is the second largest tomato market after Kagio market targeting both wholesale and retail tomato traders from the neighboring counties as well as some from Nairobi and Mombasa.
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 products for better incomes.
By Mutai Kipngetich
