. Shuwe said many farmers are suffering in the hands of middlemen who buy products from them at low prices.
. The department is keen on reviving dormant cooperatives in order to increase the bargaining power for farmers.
Image: SOLOMON MUINGI
Smallholder farmers in Taita Taveta county have been urged to join cooperatives and sell their farm produce through them to eliminate middlemen, who eat into their profit.
Trade, tourism and cooperative development executive Gertrude Shuwe said a significant population in the county relies on farming for their livelihoods and they should get value for their investments.
She said many farmers are suffering in the hands of middlemen, who buy products at low prices and sell to vendors and consumers at inflated prices.
Shuwe said her department is keen on reviving dormant cooperatives to increase the bargaining power for small-scale farmers and weed out brokers.
"These are the reasons we are committed to reviving dormant cooperatives, streamlining operations of the existing ones and empowering them," she said.
Shuwe spoke during a meeting with Taita Taveta Banana Farmers Cooperative (Tataba) in Taveta on Tuesday.
She said cooperative societies play a key role in economic growth and residents should embrace a saving culture, as it is the sure way to foster development.
Only 13 out of 79 registered cooperatives are active, prompting the need for more sensitisation to revive the dormant cooperatives.
The devolved unit, she said, has been empowering farmers through public-private partnerships aimed at promoting value addition in agriculture to boost farmers' returns.
"Value chain is key in agriculture and the government is partnering with other players to increase profits. For instance, we have launched sunflower oil extraction machines in Chala and Kasigau wards," Shuwe said.
The executive advised cooperatives to take loans from recognised financial institutions for the security of their businesses.
She said many groups and cooperatives have collapsed due to exploitation by unrecognised financial institutions, rendering them hopeless.
"Don't fall prey to money lending institutions that give easy access to loans but end up possessing your businesses as soon as you default to high interest rates," she said.
She advised them to take advantage of banks and Saccos, which offer affordable loans.
Tataba chairman Ndelejai Msangi challenged their members to join the fight against brokers and middlemen, whom he said are reaping off farmer's profits.
He said the cooperative has been cushioning members from the struggle of accessing finance, inputs and markets.
Further, Msangi said, the more than 600-member cooperative has helped improve banana markets and technology advancement among smallholder farmers.
Following increased production, the region has been the food basket for the Coast region, producing tonnes of bananas to the market.