Talks are under way
between textile firms from
China, Turkey and Brazil and the Kenyan Government to roll out investments to
set up value addition hubs in the latter’s cottonindustry, according to the Kenyan agriculture
ministry. Members of the Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce are, for instance,
expected to set up textile factories to boost value addition.
Chamber vice chairman William Zhuo said its
members are familiarising themselves with the industry value chain and are
building partnerships with other actors such as the learning institutions. Brazil is working on logistics to start producing
high-yielding cotton varieties in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties, besides training
and initiating classification laboratories, according to interim head of
Kenya’s Fibre Crops Directorate Anthony Muriithi.
Turkish firm HoneyDeco is also reportedly planning
to build factories and introduce high-yielding seed varieties in Kenya. The firm
has carried out a test on the new seeds, which have since been presented to the
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service for registration, according to a report in an
African business daily.