KWALE, Kenya – Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Sen. Mutahi Kagwe has launched an ambitious drive to more than double Kenya’s bixa production by expanding the number of growers and fully utilizing the country’s 3,000-tonne annual processing capacity, a move expected to create thousands of new farming and processing jobs while significantly raising rural incomes.
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Speaking during a visit to Kenya Bixa Limited in Kwale County, CS Kagwe said the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the coastal county governments will work together to expand production through the distribution of certified seedlings, stronger extension services, farmer cooperatives and affordable financing, positioning bixa as one of Kenya’s next high-value commercial crops.
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The Cabinet Secretary said Kenya already possesses the processing plant, export markets and internationally certified manufacturing standards required to compete globally. What is now needed is to rapidly increase production from the farm.
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Currently, Kenya Bixa Limited processes between 1,000 and 1,400 tonnes of raw bixa annually despite having the capacity to process 3,000 tonnes every year, meaning the factory is operating at less than half of its potential.
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The current production comes from between 7,000 and 10,000 contracted smallholder farmers spread across Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu counties.
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CS Kagwe said the Government now intends to increase the number of farmers by rolling out more certified seedlings through AFA. Since bixa is a scheduled crop, the Authority will play a central role in regulating planting material, supporting farmers and expanding acreage to supply the additional raw materials needed by the factory.
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“This is not just about increasing production. It is about bringing more farmers into a profitable value chain, creating more jobs and putting more money into rural households,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
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The expansion is expected to create employment not only on farms but also in seed multiplication, transport, aggregation, processing, logistics and exports.
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The factory currently provides 150 direct jobs, while supporting hundreds more through contract farming, transport and supply chains. Increasing production to the plant’s full capacity is expected to substantially increase employment opportunities across the Coast region.
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According to production figures presented during the visit, one acre accommodates about 160 bixa trees planted at the recommended 5-metre by 5-metre spacing. Each tree produces an average of 10 kilograms annually, translating to roughly 1,600 kilograms per acre.
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At the current farm-gate price of KSh95 per kilogram, a farmer can earn approximately KSh152,000 per acre every year from bixa.
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Unlike many commercial crops, however, bixa does not replace food production. Because of its wide spacing, farmers are encouraged to intercrop with maize, beans, pigeon peas, cassava, cowpeas and citrus fruits, allowing them to harvest both a cash crop and food crops from the same piece of land.
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CS Kagwe said this dual-income model is particularly important for smallholder farmers because it improves household cash flow while strengthening food security.
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“The most important thing is to put money into farmers’ pockets. That is my job,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
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To ensure farmers capture more value, CS Kagwe directed growers to establish strong bixa cooperatives that will improve collective marketing, bargaining power and access to affordable credit through the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) and other financial institutions.
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Supporting the Government’s strategy, Agriculture and Food Authority Acting Director General Calistus Kundu announced that AFA has been directed to establish a dedicated support structure for the bixa sub-sector to coordinate seed distribution, farmer registration, extension services and market development.
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Earlier, Kenya Bixa Limited Managing Director Dr. David Kisa said the company has invested heavily to meet international standards and already possesses the capacity to process significantly more produce if raw material supply increases.
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The company, which began operations in 1979 with a processing capacity of only 250 tonnes, has expanded twelve-fold to today’s 3,000-tonne capacity. It processes bixa into annatto natural food colours—norbixin and bixin—which are supplied to local and international markets.
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The natural colour extracts are used extensively in dairy products, processed meat, confectionery, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic products, placing Kenya in a growing global market as manufacturers increasingly shift from synthetic additives to natural ingredients.
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Kenya Bixa Limited has also attained internationally recognized certifications, including FSSC 22000 Version 6, ISO 9001:2015, Halal, Kosher, U.S. FDA compliance, KEBS Diamond Mark, and membership in the United Nations Global Compact, enabling it to serve premium export markets.
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The company is also investing in innovation, with trials underway for a portable bixa pods threshing machine designed to be transported on motorcycles, allowing farmers to reduce post-harvest losses and improve efficiency at the farm level.
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Beyond commercial operations, the company distributes more than 100,000 seedlings annually, provides extension services, supports community water projects and partners with hospitals and children’s homes as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.
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For CS Kagwe, however, the biggest opportunity lies in moving Kenya from its current production levels to full factory utilization.
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“If we fill the gap between the current 1,000–1,400 tonnes and the 3,000-tonne capacity, we will not only increase exports and value addition, but also bring thousands more farmers into the bixa value chain, create more jobs and inject millions of shillings into rural economies every year,” he said.
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