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The Warehouse Receipt System Council (WRSC), in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Cereal Growers Association (CGA), recently conducted a four-day sensitization exercise in Makueni County. This initiative was aimed at educating key stakeholders, including county government officials from the Trade and Agriculture departments, smallholder farmers, aggregators, cooperative leaders, financiers, and millers about the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS).
The program commenced with a courtesy call to the County Executive Committee Member (CECMs) Dr. Sonnia Nzilani, CECM for Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture & Tourism, and Ms. Joyce Mutua, CECM for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperative Development. These discussions highlighted the strategic importance of integrating the Warehouse Receipt System into Makueni’s agricultural ecosystem.
Agriculture is the backbone of Makueni County’s economy, with the region producing a variety of crops such as green grams, cowpeas, pigeon peas, maize, millet, sorghum and citrus fruits. The Warehouse Receipt System offers a solution for ensuring food safety, quality and quantity guarantee, enabling farmers to store their produce securely while waiting for favorable market prices. This system is poised to significantly improve the livelihoods of farmers and traders, with a special emphasis on empowering women and youth.
The WRSC team also conducted pre-inspections of two cooperatives’ warehouses as part of the certification process. This marks an important step toward operationalizing the Warehouse Receipt System in Makueni County. Finally, Financial institutions were encouraged to work closely with WRSC to develop financial products tailored to the needs of farmers. By doing so, they can increase their loan portfolios and expand their customer base, driving further investment into the region’s agricultural sector.