KSh18 Million Grants Boost Kwale Farmer Groups and SACCOs

SACCOs and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Kwale County have received Sh18 million in grants under the National Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) to expand agricultural enterprises and strengthen rural businesses.

The grants target key value chains including tomatoes, cashew nuts, mangoes, apiculture and poultry, with community SACCOs, cooperatives and farmer organisations among the beneficiaries.

Beneficiary SACCOs include Kinango Ward Community SACCO, Mwavumbo Ward Community SACCO, Tsimba Golini Ward Community SACCO, Pongwe-Kikoneni Ward Ukulima Community SACCO, Vanga Ward Community SACCO and GOBON CDDC SACCO.

Farmer organisations benefiting from the programme include Dzombo Farmers Cooperative, Kinango Poultry Cooperative and Kwale Korosho Cooperative.

Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani said the grants would provide farmers and their organisations with resources to expand operations, improve value addition and access better markets.

For SACCOs, the funding is expected to strengthen their role in the agricultural value chain by supporting organised farmer groups and enterprises. Growing farm businesses could also create opportunities for increased savings, lending and other financial services for members.

The programme will also support collective approaches to production and marketing, enabling farmers to pool resources, undertake joint investments and access markets as organised groups.

Achani urged beneficiaries to manage the funds responsibly and strengthen their organisations to ensure the grants translate into tangible benefits for farmers.

The county government said the programme is being implemented in collaboration with NAVCDP partners, Members of Parliament, SACCO and farmer organisation leaders and county officials.

The Ksh18 million investment comes as efforts intensify to strengthen smallholder agriculture by linking farmers to finance, value addition and more organised markets.