Kenya has launched a strategic agricultural initiative to expand its annual bixa (annatto) production capacity to at least 3,000 tonnes. 

Announced by Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe during an official visit to Kenya Bixa Limited in Kwale County, the government-led program aims to double current raw production levels and fully utilise the nation’s processing infrastructure.

Cabinet Secretary Kagwe explained that while the Kenya Bixa Limited processing facility in Ukunda has the capacity to process 3,000 tonnes of raw material annually, current output stands between 1,000 and 1,400 tonnes. 

This leaves the factory operating at less than half its potential. “If we fill the gap between the current 1,000 to 1,400 tonnes and the 3,000-tonne capacity, we will not only increase exports and value addition, but also bring thousands more farmers into the bixa value chain, create more jobs and inject millions of shillings into rural economies every year,” Kagwe stated.

To bridge the raw material deficit, the Ministry of Agriculture, working through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) alongside Kwale, Kilifi, and Lamu county governments, will distribute certified high-yield seedlings, expand extension services, and establish agricultural cooperatives. 

The effort seeks to significantly expand the current network of 10,000 smallholder growers. Beyond farm-gate returns, scaling production to the factory’s full 3,000-tonne threshold is projected to generate new direct processing jobs and expand transport, aggregation, and export employment across the coastal region.

Source: TV Brics
Image Credit: African Times