White sorghum variety.
East African Brewers Limited (EABL) has contracted over 500 farmers from Kisumu to grow white sorghum for their Senator Keg beer brand production. This will see each farmer earn about Sh768,000 at the end of this season against the meagre amounts the farmers would earn from their subsistence farming a season.
The brewer leased 3,500 acres of land from 500 members of community at Siany Okana Farm in Kisumu targeting to harvest over 12,000 tonnes of white sorghum by August ahead of the launch of it Kisumu plant in September this year.
In addition, EABL will also contract more farmers from Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya and Busia countries to improve their supply. Senator Keg production is expected to be 100 million litres annually.
“We have leased the land from members of the community in an initiative that will see the company cater for all the costs of production from planting to harvesting and finally pay farmers Sh32 a kilo from the sorghum,” said Omondi Kasidhi, head of sustainable agriculture sourcing at EABL.
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The five-year contract with the farmers will see the farmers al so enjoy from cultivating food crops from the part of the land such as maize beans and green grams further eliminating food insecurity in the area.
“This contract as per the Nairobi Stoke Exchange listed firms is part of deepening socio-economic benefits to the rural population that only relies on cultivation of food crops in small quantities for consumption,” said Kasidhi.
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The programme according to EABL will by far create and increase a robust supply chain adding to the establishment of a sustainable socio-economic environment as spurred by agriculture in the society as the company plans to introduce modern farming techniques to improve yields of ingredients for the manufacture of their alcohol brands.
With the company’s Kisumu plant launch set for September, there is more hopes that this will provide employment for hundreds of local people, the county government has assured EABL the upgrade of roads in the region that they may ease transport all time.
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EABL is currently supplying over 20,000 Senator Keg bars selling the brand across the country.