Toyota East Africa to build fertilizer plant in Kenya

Toyota East Africa said Friday it’s moving with speed to build a fertiliser plant in Kenya as the government moves to locally manufacture the vital farming input. fertilizer
Director and Senior Advisor for Toyota East Africa Dennis Awori said Kenya will start producing fertilizer by 2016, adding that his organization is moving with speed to ensure that the project is implemented within the stipulated time.
“We shall start design works soon as soon as we finalize on the issue of land. We are totally committed and we shall be ready to produce fertilizer in 2016,” he said.
Awori, who was speaking during a meeting with Deputy President William Ruto in Nairobi, noted that construction of the fertilizer factory will take 12 months, adding that a suitable construction site has been identified.
“We intend to put up the first phase of the fertilizer plant around Eldoret because our feasibility study shows that Rift Valley consumes most of the fertilizer in Kenya,” he said.
Toyota Tsusho, parent company of Toyota East Africa, recently won the 1.2 billion U.S. dollars tender to build the fertiliser manufacturing plant.
According to the government, 40 percent of the cost of fertilizer emanate from the freight and handling charges at the port. Having a local plant in the country will see all these costs reduced, hence cutting down the price significantly.
Speaking during the meeting, Ruto said construction of fertilizer factory will address the high cost of the farm input, especially fertilizer that has been identified as a constraint to high crop productivity.
Ruto emphasized the need for the firm to move with speed, noting that having a local plant in the country will lead to reduced costs, hence cutting down the price of inputs significantly.
“We would like this project to be up and running soon for the benefit of the ordinary people. Most of our farmers have no other means of livelihood other than farming,” said Ruto, noting that the government will assist the firm so as to expedite the process.

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