In a major boost for agricultural transformation and climate-resilient livelihoods in Siaya County, the Department of Water, Irrigation, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources today engaged North Ugenya residents on the establishment of a Hass avocado value-addition project under the national Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme.
The high-level stakeholder meeting brought county officials and community leaders from Ligala, Nyamsenda, Kagonya, Jera and Sega sub-locations together to deliberate on plans to develop a processing plant for avocado fruits, marking a critical step toward strengthening the county’s agro-processing landscape and boosting smallholder incomes.
According to officials, the proposal — backed by community consent across five sub-locations — will be implemented in phases, with Phase One prioritizing establishment of a local avocado processing facility. Two sites have emerged as frontrunners for the plant: Udira Kamrembo and Bendera, both of which have been screened with initial assessments indicating they are public land, potentially simplifying future development permissions.
The project is positioned within the broader FLLoCA framework — Kenya’s flagship climate finance initiative designed to shift decision-making and implementation power to grassroots communities to deliver locally-driven climate adaptation and resilience actions. FLLoCA investments focus on strengthening agricultural value chains, water resources, and climate adaptation — ambitions aligned with Siaya County’s climate action and agricultural transformation goals.
County officials highlighted that the avocado value addition facility would not only create jobs but also anchor a sustainable market for local farmers, who have increasingly embraced Hass avocado — a high-value export crop — as a climate-smart agricultural alternative. Across Kenya, counties are integrating avocado processing into climate-resilient agricultural plans, including seedling distribution programmes and packhouses that enhance market access for farmers.
Local farmers welcomed the initiative, noting that value-addition infrastructure will reduce post-harvest losses, curb dependence on brokers, and unlock new revenue streams through processed avocado products.
Siaya’s push aligns with national strategies to support agro-processing facilities and strengthen climate resilience in agriculture, contributing to sustainable rural development while mitigating the impacts of climate variability on rural farming communities.
As Siaya continues to explore investment in strategic agro-industries, the avocado project is set to become a cornerstone of rural enterprise growth and climate-smart farming success in the region.
