Best Tropical Fruits Limited Village Processing Hub Launched
By Dr Alfred Mutua, Governor of Machakos County, from Twitter/@DrAlfredMutua
Delighted to receive the Australian High Commissioner, this morning when he paid me a courtesy call at my Machakos Office ahead of the launch of Best Tropical Fruits Limited Village Processing Hub in Mwala Sub-County Kasolongo village. He was accompanied by his wife Mrs. Helen Williams and Ms. Brenda Wabule, Country Director, Austrade.
Later on our way to Mwala, we stopped at the Machakos Cancer and Research Centre, which has so far received 13,706 patients with over 80% of patients coming from the lower eastern region and 20% from other counties since it’s opening in 2019. The centre offers screening, diagnostic, treatment and palliative care services. In addition to the cancer centre, the health department has outreach programs across all sub counties and has provided for cancer screening services in all Machakos County dispensaries. These combined efforts have increased awareness on cancer prevention, testing, early diagnosis and treatment. I am happy that our people are able to receive quality healthcare much closer to home and we hope to do more in the near future.
The commissioning of Best Tropical Fruits Processing Hub in Kasolongo village, Mwala Sub-County is an opportunity for farmers in Machakos and beyond to market their produce for consumption in the international market; Australia, Europe and other countries across the world. Aside from the direct employment at the processing plant, there are unlimited opportunities for the local farmers who deliver their produce to the plant. There is a huge unmet demand for agricultural products like avocado oils, now popularly known as green gold.
Value addition and recycling are the greatest driving forces for this plant. It’s products include; Avocado, macadamia & peanut oils, tree tomato juice, dried banana & pawpaw, mango juice, mango seed and avocado seed charcoal, mango seed cattle meal and macadamia livestock meal. There is absolutely no wastage and I am very impressed by this. In the coming financial year, my government will build a similar processing plant so as to help more farmers to market their produce locally and internationally.
My government and our partners have supported farmers to embrace modern farming techniques. Farmers who have embraced the quarter acre farming model are already reaping from it and I encourage more people to join the bandwagon through the county agricultural ministry. It is important for farmers to unite. Having structures allows for better planning, negotiation due to strength in numbers. Today, the Machakos County mango chain association which has over 6,500 members across all 8 sub-counties have proven this and they will continue to grow.
Agricultural interventions, both from my government and progressive communities within the County have transformed Machakos from a relief food receiving county into a county able to feed it’s people and trade in agricultural products.
I applaud the family of Fred Kilinda Nzioki who donated the piece of land on which the processing plant stands. The selflessness and vision to support the community is admirable and true service to the people. Asante Sana. As a development oriented leader, I continue to affirm that good politics is politics of development, politics of uplifting wananchi’s livelihoods. Let us remain committed to serve and improve the quality of life of our people.
Lastly, I want thank the Australian High Commissioner, who has pledged to be a friend and ally of Machakos. Karibu sana Machakos. I echo his push for sustainable farming, a call that I will continue to advocate for in Machakos and in Kenya as a whole.
