Ng’arua Maarifa plays host to Amiran Kenya and Chase Bank

By Bob Aston 

Chase Bank and Amiran Kenya are set to partner with Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society to undertake various development programs. During a meeting on January 15, 2014 held at Ng’arua Maarifa Centre in Sipili Division, Laikipia County, representatives of the three organizations agreed to work together to undertake various projects.

Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative officials together with Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) staff at Ng’arua Maarifa Centre informed Chase Bank and Amiran officials on the milestones and challenges that the co-operative is currently facing.

Chase Bank,Amiran,Kenya,Cooperative and Ngarua Maarifa officials

ALIN is currently offering advisory support services, capacity building, information access and empowerment to the members of the Co-operative.

Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society vice Chairman, Samuel Mbogo said that some of the challenges the co-operative face is lack of finances to buy seeds and fertilizer for members.

Samuel Kanyingi from Chase Bank advised the co-operative to work and organize with the bank as it has a lot of money to dispense on agriculture.

 “Organize yourselves and benefit from the bank as money is available. We have not yet exhausted funds that were set aside last year to help farmers while this year funds have again been set aside for farmers,” said Kanyingi.

Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society is spearheading  market access initiatives using modern technologies, supporting community needs assessments and information dissemination, organizing trainings, networking and capacity building for farmers, mobilizing the farming communities into common interest producer groups, enabling farmers to access inputs and bulk their produce for easier marketing, promoting quality control and post harvest handling as well as supporting farmers and local communities to access information on farming.

“The best way to benefit from banks is through organized groups. One can get cheaper loans and good packages,” said Isaac Ruto, from Chase Bank.

Photo session

“The Co-operative can be a seed stockiest and they will also be agents of Chase bank and other customers can bank through them,” added Isaac.

Chase Bank and Amiran Kenya are currently in a partnership to extend new credit opportunities to farmers and youth, that will enable them to purchase Amiran’s modern agricultural technologies, to boost their farm produce as well as empower the youth economically.

Under the programme, Chase Bank and its subsidiary, Rafiki DTM have allocated the agribusiness finance project 3.5 billion to help finance Amiran’s modern agricultural technologies to interested youths and farmers.

Amiran Regional Manager-West Rift, Andrew Nguyo, informed the Co-operative that it is easy to get dealership as one can get their products directly at a reduced price with no middleman in between. Nguyo emphasized on the need for proper working relationship between the cooperative and the organization.

“A relationship must first be established to grow and improve the Cooperative,” said Nguyo

Amiran Kenya’s agricultural basket of products are said to include chemicals, fertilizers and seeds; large and small scale agro-projects using state of the art technology like modern irrigation systems, green house climate control and water measuring technologies. 

“As a co-operative you can get products directly from Amiran. This means that you will be able to get our products cheaply compared to individual farmers,” said Nguyo.

Amiran and Chase Bank officials also visited the Co-operative store and office to assess what they have been doing. The Co-operative which was formed last year already has more than 200 registered members.