The National Irrigation Authority, in collaboration with Kisumu County, has contracted Upland Crop Company, a private investor, to operationalize the newly installed rice mill in Ahero, Nyando Sub-County.
Speaking during the official signing of the lease agreement, Kisumu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock, and Fisheries, Ken Onyango, emphasized that the partnership would enhance the commercial viability of the Ahero Rice Milling Plant and bring significant economic benefits to the region.
“This partnership symbolizes a major step towards revitalizing rice processing in the region, creating jobs, boosting the local economy and empowering farmers with better market access and value addition opportunities,” Onyango stated.
Under the agreement, Upland Crop Company will operate and manage the rice mill as a private business venture, injecting private sector capital to ensure the mill’s profitability and financial sustainability.
The facility is expected to provide a competitive and profitable market for small- and medium-scale rice growers within Western Kenya’s irrigation schemes. Onyango noted that the new mill would be instrumental in boosting local rice production and in helping reduce the national rice deficit, aligning with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Constructed at a cost of Sh30 million by the County Government of Kisumu, the modern milling plant is part of Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s broader plan to accelerate agricultural transformation, promote food security, and drive socio-economic development.
The plant boasts a processing capacity of 2.5 metric tons per hour, equivalent to approximately 60 tons per day. The establishment of the Ahero Rice Milling Plant is expected to connect local rice farmers with access to quality inputs and essential services, further driving the sustainable development of the regional rice industry.
As of December 2021, Kisumu County had witnessed significant progress in rice production, with around 19,000 tons of paddy harvested from 6,500 hectares, benefiting approximately 12,000 households. However, the majority of the harvest has traditionally been sold as unmilled paddy due to the absence of modern processing facilities.
“Existing single-stage mills produce ungraded, destoned rice with high levels of breakage,” Onyango noted.
To address these challenges, the county government has invested in a modern, multi-stage mill capable of sorting, grading, and packing rice to enhance value addition.
The operationalization of the Ahero Rice Mill is poised to transform rice farming in the region and deliver long-term economic benefits to local communities.
