Localize small-scale cotton ginning processes to improve the income of rural cotton growers in Kenya

The cotton, textile, and apparel industry is Kenya’s second largest manufacturing sector. Kenya’s domestic cotton production is below manufacturing demand for yarn and fabric. As a result, most of the cotton-based inputs for textiles and apparel are imported from neighboring East African countries and Asia. In an effort to re-dynamise this cotton value chain, the Kenyan government engaged in a strategy to improve quality and quantity of cotton production and identified cotton as a key area for the country’s economy.

The aim of this project is to create value-addition opportunities for farmers by localizing the cotton ginning process and increasing their capacity to sell at more advantageous prices, while reducing costs and hassle linked to transportation.

Kirinyaga University’s project aims to improve the income of small-scale cotton farmers in Kenya by localizing the cotton ginning process at the producers scale. The ginning operation will enable the farmers to earn directly the added value of the process, reduce cotton waste and decrease related costs (such as costs related to storage and transportation). The presented model also intends to use extracted lint cotton to produce by-products (cotton wool, diapers, swabs…) and generate more avenues for revenue generation. To tackle the lack of accessibility and the obsolescence of currently existing ginneries,the team proposes the development and deployment of 8 micro-portable ginning machines, capable of processing 10 tons of cotton in a day and which will be made available to about 100 smallholder farmers in Kenya.

FID’s funding will be used to cover several activities, including surveys to assess the potential adoption of the solution, the manufacturing of new cotton-ginning machines, training for farmers on how to use and maintain the machines as well as the monitoring and evaluation of the performance along all these activities (production, adoption, trainings, etc.).

The pilot project will be implemented in the Kirinyaga county and aims to reach around 100 rural farmers and:

• Support job creation for local youth and women in the value chain through the management and maintenance of the ginning machines and production of byproducts
• Empower rural local farmers, women and agri-preneurs on value addition strategies of the cotton
• Improve living standards and overall economic growth