Kenya: Tobacco Farmers in Migori Cry Foul over Factory Closure

Source from:  The Standard Digital News 06/09/2015

Tobacco farmers from Migori County are a have expressed their fears after one of the major tobacco firms in Migori County closed down operations.

Alliance One closed down operations in Migori County last month leaving hundreds jobless as well as many farmers wondering where to take their products.

Migori County is the largest producer of tobacco and accounts for 70 percent of tobacco being produced annually in Kenya.

 Alliance One, according to Robert Omondi a tobacco farmer in Migori, bought tobacco indiscriminately from farmers and　exit now spells doom to many farmers.

The departure of Alliance leaves British American Tobacco and Mastermind as major operators in the area.

"Exit of Alliance One will see most of us shifting from cultivating tobacco to other crops because there would be a lot of flooding in the market with over 20, 000 farmers scrambling to sell tobacco to two companies. I foresee delayed payments as well as low prices for products that are expensive to produce," said Mr Omondi. Enditem