Eldoret-based textile firm Rivatex recently witnessed a major upgrade of its facility by installing advanced machinery after the Kenyan Government secured Sh5 billion in funding from the US Export-Import Bank. The fabric producer, which had been dormant for years, has seen a transformation in the last two years after Moi University took over its operations. President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered the plant’s revival during a visit in 2017. It is likely to open up new opportunities for cotton farmers. The expanded production plant will be commissioned by the president on June 21. Rivatex managing director Thomas Kipkurgat said at least 500,000 acres of land under cotton cultivation will be required to meet the company’s cotton demands. The factory, which is capable of handling 40 tonnes of cotton daily, is currently processing 12 tonnes, he said. Before it was modernised, the factory was processing only two tonnes of cotton daily, according to a top Nigerian daily. Rivatex is currently importing cotton from neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania. To meet the demand for cotton, Kipkurgat said Rivatex has signed cotton-growing deals with 24 counties in the Rift Valley and Eastern regions. These counties include Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo and Kitui. Cotton seeds have been supplied to the counties and pesticides will be supplied in the next months.
Source – Fibre2Fashion.
