In a bid to minimise wastage incurred by potato farmers in Uasin Gishu County after production, Governor Dr Jonathan Bii’s administration is constructing a new cold room storage facility in Olare-Ainabkoi ward, Ainabkoi Sub County.
On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, a team from the Public Works section inspected the ongoing works on the state-of-the-art facility. It will have a capacity of 1500 metric tonnes of potatoes in a year and will be installed with modern technology to maintain optimal temperatures for the stored potatoes.
The county boss said that once completed, the facility will serve more than 5,000 farmers, minimise wastage and enhance the standards of requirements for potatoes in both local and international markets.
“This project will solve many challenges for our potato farmers, including selling potatoes at a throw-away price for fear of getting rotten due to poor storage,” Governor Dr Bii noted.
He added that the facility will help boost production and attract good prices because the potatoes will be sold at the right time.
What’s Governor Bii’s plan for infrastructural development?
In his Nguzo number 6 on infrastructural development, Governor Dr Bii outlines his vision on strategic planning, excellent designs for projects and implementation of projects that ensure sustainable growth to meet the holistic needs of the residents of Uasin Gishu.
County Executive Committee Member for Roads, Transport and Public Works Eng. Joseph Lagat expressed satisfaction with the implementation process of the project and urged his team to work closely with the contractor to ensure the project is completed and commissioned on time.
“This is a testament to our Governor’s commitment to creating sustainable solutions for our farmers towards economic growth and achieving food security. As a department, we will continue supporting the initiative by providing the requisite skills during the implementation of such key projects,” Eng. Lagat explained.
Eng. Lagat reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to improving infrastructure to minimise post-harvest losses, create competitiveness and job opportunities along the value chain as well as ensure economic viability.