The government is set to sell the Pyrethrum Processing Company (PPC) as part of a broader strategy to promote private sector participation in commercial agriculture. Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the move aligns with the government’s policy of shifting agricultural production from public to private management to boost productivity, exports, and job creation.
Speaking during the 5th Agriculture Summit organized by the Agriculture Sector Network (ASNET), Kagwe noted that the privatization mirrors recent reforms in the sugar sector.
“We will do the same with pyrethrum. We will move pyrethrum from government management to private sector management. This is not by mistake, this is policy,” he said.
Under the revival plan, the government aims to raise pyrethrum flower production from 942 metric tons to 10,000 tons by expanding cultivation acreage from 4,000 acres to 9,624 acres. The PPC, which owns assets worth Ksh 5.3 billion, including 5.29 hectares of land, will be central to this transformation once privatized.
ASNET Chairman Dr. Bimal Kantaria lauded the initiative, saying private investment will unlock the full potential of Kenya’s agricultural sector.
“The sugarcane sector is now privatized. Hopefully by next year we will start exporting sugar. The private sector’s involvement has been extremely strong,” said Dr. Kantaria.
The government is also pursuing an ambitious plan to lease 1.5 million hectares of land to private investors for commercial farming of crops such as wheat and maize.
Through these efforts, the state hopes to cut Kenya’s food import bill, which currently stands at Ksh 500 billion annually, and position agriculture as a key driver of economic growth.
This year’s Agriculture Summit brought together policymakers, industry players, and youth innovators to explore ways of advancing agribusiness through innovation and private sector partnerships.
