A tea processing factory will soon be established in Plateau State thanks to the visit of Governor Simon Bako Lalong to Kenya on behalf of the Northern Governor’s Forum.
This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Plateau State Government and the Government of Kericho County in Kenya following the visit of Governor Lalong to various Counties of the Country.
The memorandum of understanding was signed on behalf of the two governments by Prof. Danladi Atu, Secretary to Government of Plateau State and Joes Bett, County Secretary of Kericho in Kenya and witnessed by the two Governors.
Before the signing of the agreement, Governor Lalong had taken a tour of the Ketepa Tea Processing and Packaging Company which is the largest tea farming company in Kenya that is driven by a farmer cooperative society.
He was taken around the company by Managing Director Albert Otochi who explained that the company was founded by small-scale farmers who are the major shareholders and determine its day-to-day running through the board of directors.
He was told that through the cooperative society, the farmers are encouraged to cultivate tea and coffee which are then bought off them by the company and processed thereby creating employment for the host communities and boosting their economy.
Governor Lalong said the initiative is to consolidate on the gains of his visit to Kenya, particularly Kericho County which shares a lot of similarities in weather, topography and agricultural endowments with Plateau State.
“We have other products that can benefit from the processing factory which can result in what could be PLATEAU TEA that will make inroads into the Nigerian market,” he said.
The Governor also discussed the possibility of training long-distance runners in Kericho which has been the base of Kenya’s athletics strength over the years.
Lalong had also visited a private diary farm where he was taken round the production line by the Chairman of the Farm Gen. John Koech (Rtd) who expressed willingness to share experiences with Plateau State and indeed the other Northern States in a modern way of cattle rearing which is not only profitable but a new way of maintaining communal harmony and better utilization of scarce land resources.
The Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum was later hosted to a warm reception at the Office of the Governor of Kericho County where members of the County Legislature and the Executive were in attendance.
Source: Dr. Makut Simon Macham ANIPR (Director of Press & Public Affairs to The Governor of Plateau State.)
