Farmers in Busia County are set to benefit from a fresh boost to their livelihoods after receiving 24 tonnes of cotton seed, the first portion of a planned 100-tonne consignment earmarked for the county. The delivery marks a significant step in Kenya Kwanza’s ongoing push to restore cotton farming as a cornerstone of western Kenya’s agricultural economy.
Three farmer cooperatives in the county are the primary beneficiaries of the seed consignment, with distribution managed through an e-voucher system designed to ensure accountability and get inputs directly into the right hands. The structured rollout is seen as critical to avoiding leakages that have undermined previous agricultural support programmes in the region.
At the centre of the supply chain is Vistari — formerly known as Rivatex — which has entered into off-take agreements with Busia and other cotton-growing counties across the country. Under the arrangement, Vistari not only supplies farming inputs but also commits to purchasing all the cotton produced by participating farmers. So far, the company has procured 1,500 metric tonnes of Open Pollinated Variety seed for distribution to farmers countrywide.
The revival push appears to be bearing fruit. More than 200,000 households across Kenya have returned to cotton farming following coordinated efforts between national and county governments. Prices for seed cotton have also more than doubled — rising from 32 shillings per kilogram three years ago to 72 shillings today — giving farmers a far stronger financial incentive to invest in the crop.
Infrastructure improvements are also underway to complement the renewed interest in cotton. The Luanda Ginnery has received a 150-million-shilling upgrade and is now processing eight bales of cotton lint alongside 20 litres of seed cake oil every day, significantly boosting the county’s capacity to absorb increased output from farms as production scales up.
Further along the value chain, work is progressing on an industrial park and an export processing zone in Nasewa, within Matayos Constituency. The facilities are intended to unlock value-addition opportunities for the county, shifting Busia beyond raw cotton production toward finished goods that command stronger prices on regional and international markets.
On the ground, extension officers have been deployed county-wide to guide farmers on best practices, while an agripreneur model has placed seven trained and fully equipped representatives in each ward. The hands-on approach is designed to bridge the gap between modern agricultural techniques and smallholder farmers as the sector builds on its recovery.
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