Kitale, Friday, January 26, 2018 KNA by Pauline Ikanda
Trans Nzoia county government has partnered with SEEDCO Company to boost agriculture in the region.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on the deputy governor Stanley Tarus in his office today, the company’s MD Kassim Owino said the company intends to pump in sh400 million to further the county’s operations especially in agriculture.
He said out of the initiative, maize farmers in the region are set to reap big from better working ties between the county government and the seed manufacturing company which plans to expand its venture in the region.
The seed factory has established a manufacturing plant in Kiminini will and has plans to roll out the phase two project which will include additional warehouses, quality assurance laboratory, irrigation facilities, and artificial seed drying plant among others.
Already, the company has employed 72 people in the last one year it has been in operation and intends to double in its second phase besides the over 800 people who have an income stream from the investment.
According to Kassim, his company had also engaged 25 large scale farmers to plant and produce highland seed varieties and that plans were under way to double the hectares under production of seed in a year’s time.
Apart from producing quality seeds, Kassim said his company was also engaged in community service programmes and research to mitigate against the new challenges on farming communities, including fight against maize lethal necrosis disease among other activities.
He commended the county government for providing an ample working environment that has enabled them record further growth.
Dr. Tarus commended the Seed Company for their support noting that the company was also among the best tax payers to the county government and had even paid sh1.1millon tax this year.
“We have reaped from our investor conference held in 2016 and we are happy that investors are showing more confidence in us as they expand further their ventures,” noted the deputy governor.
The deputy governor was accompanied by the county executive in charge of agriculture Mary Nzomo.
