Kirinyaga county will export 1.5million kg of tea worth $15 million (Sh1.3 billion) to Pakistan, the governor has said. This was revealed after Pakistan High Commissioner Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui paid a courtesy call to Kirinyaga Governor Joseph Ndathi yesterday.

The two agreed that the business relationship will continue because the county produces the best tea, coffee and rice. Ndathi said high taxation has been a major obstacle for exports.

He said the commodities are grown by poor small scale farmers who want to be assisted with adequate income as the county tries to achieve the UN millennium development goals.

Siddiqui said they are going to ensure that machinery, like tractors, produced in Pakistan are given to the county to increase agricultural production.

The governor said the collapsed cotton ginneries will be revamped to revive the sector. He said his government will send businessmen to the Pakistan Trade Exhibition on September 26-29 to learn more on technology.

Siddiqui said the Pakistan Rice Exporters Forum is keen on visiting Kirinyaga for technology transfer and to provide value addition.

He said Pakistan and the national government will sign an agreement to work together. Siddiqui said no bilateral agreement is done at the county government level.