Twenty-five farmers Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) in Trans Nzoia County have formed a union to strengthen access to financing and ensure sustainability of farmer support programmes after the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) ends.
Governor George Natembeya said the formation of the Trans Nzoia SACCO Union would provide a platform for farmers to mobilise resources and continue accessing financial support beyond the lifespan of the NAVCDP.
Speaking during the union’s inaugural general meeting at Westside Hotel in Kitale, Natembeya said each of the county’s 25 wards had a SACCO which had now come together under the umbrella union.
“Today is a big day for Trans Nzoia because we have begun a union for the SACCOs under NAVCDP. Every ward in our county has a SACCO and we have 25 SACCOs that have come together to form one union SACCO. All this is to ensure sustainability so that when NAVCDP ends, there is still money for our farmers,” he said.
Natembeya added that Sh75 million had been set aside to support the farmers’ SACCO union, with Sh10 million disbursed to the union during the meeting.
He said the funding would empower farmers to access resources and invest in alternative agricultural activities while reducing overreliance on maize production.
“We want to empower farmers to be informed and innovative so that at the end of the programme they can sustain themselves,” he said.
The Governor said NAVCDP was supporting value chains including poultry, dairy, tomatoes, avocado and bananas to diversify agricultural production in the county, noting that unpredictable weather patterns had affected maize production despite farmers receiving quality seed.
“As you saw this year, farmers were given quality seeds but it did not rain and the harvest was not as we expected. So we want alternatives for farmers,” he said.
He said farmers were also being trained on SACCO management to address challenges associated with leadership and governance in the cooperatives.
“As a county government, we want to ensure farmers are proud of their work,” he said.
County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Development Phanice Khatundi said the county government was equipping SACCOs with facilities to enable farmers to access services closer to their homes.
She urged farmers at the grassroots to join SACCOs and embrace a culture of saving to strengthen the cooperatives beyond the NAVCDP programme.
“We know SACCOs are for savings. We have created this SACCO to help farmers. I want to urge the Governor to ensure farmers have money, which is why SACCOs have been equipped with materials at the grassroots to ensure farmers do not have to go to the bank but can access services where they are,” she said.
Khatundi said the Sh75 million allocated to the farmers’ SACCO union would be disbursed in three cycles; Sh7.6 million, Sh10.6 million and Sh55.8 million respectively, subject to approvals from the World Bank.
She called on SACCO officials to mobilise more farmers at the grassroots to join the cooperatives, saying increased membership would strengthen their financial base and sustainability.
“We don’t want the SACCOs to die with NAVCDP when the programme ends,” she said.
Khatundi also recognised Kiminini SACCO for its strong performance and Nabiswa SACCO as the most improved SACCO in the county.
The NAVCDP is targeting five priority value chains in Trans Nzoia, including dairy, poultry, avocado, tomatoes and bananas, as part of efforts to improve farmer incomes, promote diversification and strengthen agricultural resilience.
By Isaiah Nayika/Sandra Omondi
