Cotton miller eyes additional capacity with new machinery

As demand for cotton in the county rises and the “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya” initiative takes shape, textile industries in the county are investing heavily in new machine technology thus opening doors to increased quality productivity, profits and competitiveness in the international market.

The introduction of BT cotton in the county a new variety that is clean, white right from the farm has awoken the textile industry with cotton farmers vowing to grow more to try and satisfy the rising demand for cotton and its products in the country.

Addressing cotton farmers from two counties Kilifi and Malindi who had toured Thika cloth Mills textile industry, Tejal Dodhia who is the company’s CEO said that the push for ” Buy Kenya, Build Kenya”, and the government’s continued support to the local cotton manufacturing industries has seen great economic growth with cotton farmers reaping the benefits.

Tejal said her company which is one of the three major textile industries in the county amongst them Rivertext and Sunflag are venturing into more innovative manufacturing technology ways to streamline production through investment in new machines in order to meet international quality demands.

“This new breed of BT cotton is of high quality, clean and whiter than the ordinary cotton and requires new machines to maintain its value addition”, said Tejal. She further said to maintain a competitive edge and stay relevant, a continuous review of the manufacturing systems was essential.

The new machines she said will lead to increased quality sales of products and revenue for the company. This will also add to the overall quality of the cotton business output which will also help maintain and gain a competitive advantage or even market share.

The new manufacturing equipment is faster in speed than the old type thus saving time and increasing productivity. She was upbeat that as a buyer, she would no longer be importing cotton from neighbouring countries as all indicators pointed to a bumper harvest in the country following the introduction of BT cotton.

She said many farmers who had abandoned the crop due to exploitation by middlemen and lack of market had embarked on the growing cotton following vigorous cotton reviving campaigns where she has been in the forefront giving them free seeds and pesticides amongst other inputs.

The cotton farmers were taken through the processing system in the factory and were amazed or amused to discover the cotton they grew was the one used to make fabric for school uniforms and garments for disciplined forces including KDF, GSU, Prison, NYS and the Kenya police.

Alex Mwangemi who is the chairman of Magarini Cotton Farmers cooperative society was thankful that they were assured of a ready market.

Mwangemi who led the farmers from Malindi, Kilifi county said cotton was far much better than Maize as it doesn’t require much rain. He lamented that they didn’t harvest maize last year as the region received little rainfall but was optimistic that cotton will save them. He further said BT and Hybrid cotton variety was far much better than the ordinary cotton as its yield is triple.

The new variety he said was better owing to its inbuilt pests and disease resistance capability and that it wasn’t easily attacked by bookworms hence lessening pesticides application and increasing yields. Constance Pande and Agnes Ndenderi a widow and a mother of 8 said she has all along depended on cotton to rear and educate her children after her husband passed on late four years ago.

She vows to increase the acreage of cotton. They appealed to the Kilifi county government to support them saying cotton farmers have been neglected in the region.

Their sentiments were echoed by their Meru counterparts who say they have been pushing for the county government of Meru to pass a motion and adopt cotton as their cash crop saying by doing so will encourage many farmers as the market was assured.

Betty Kinya a nominated Meru MCA who led the Meru cotton farmers to tour the Thika factory said she has sponsored a motion on the same and hopes it will go through.