In a bid to boost environmental conservation, a businessman cum politician from Central Imenti is distributing fruit trees to all women groups in the region, a move that is also aimed at empowering them economically.
KK Mutai who is also the Meru County Chamber of Commerce Vice Chairman said his target is to ensure that every homestead in Central Imenti sub county has at least five Hass Avocado trees, which will take only three years to mature and start fetching money to the owners.
“As a way of empowering women and their families in general, I have secured enough Hass avocado seedlings for all the women groups and in addition to that, there are at least 100,000 more seedlings that I will also be raising for the residents,” said Mutai.
He said each avocado tree, after three years, will be fetching at least Sh20,000 for a homestead and this will go a long way in terms of their economic development.
While issuing the seedlings to women groups in Kinjo, Riiji, and Katheri factory area, Mutai said that he plans to ensure that the residents are registered in cooperatives specifically for the purpose of avocado farming so that they can sell them without going through brokers.
“We have a vision of forming cooperatives that will enable us even to export our avocados directly as well as having factories within our constituency for value addition. This will be a good way of eliminating poverty in our families,” Mutai said.
He also encouraged the residents to take advantage of the ongoing rainy season to also plant sunflower, which will also fetch good money for them.
“We are supposed to also plant other types of trees but I am emphasising fruit trees because apart from conserving our environment, they will also play a key role in terms of food security in our homes,” said Mutai.
By Dickson Mwiti
