Kirinyaga cotton farmers buoyed up by high-yielding variety

The textile industry could be spinning on the pathway to recovery one-and-half years after the re-launch of the revamped Eldoret-based Rivatex East Africa fabric plant.

This follows the introduction of Bt cotton seeds into the country. The revival of the Eldoret plant and many more such as the Kisumu Cotton Mills (Kicomi), Mt Kenya Textiles in Nanyuki and Kitui County Textile Centre (Kicotec) has given hope to many cotton farmers across the 24 cotton-growing counties.

Farmers have expressed excitement, saying they are ready to take the daring step on a journey that will lead to full sector revival. They also hope the move will drastically reduce the importation of used clothes.

In Mwea, Kirinyaga county, the mood is no different as farmers are for the first time in more than a decade busy preparing their land to plant a more advanced variety, which they hope will give them their big break.

Patrick Munene is one of the farmers in Mwea who already received three packets of the genetically modified seeds that he intends to fill in his three-acre farm. He could not hide his joy as he will be among the many contributors of raw bales of cotton to the neighbouring Mwea ginnery that will roar again many years after the collapse of the industry in the early 90s.

"This is going to be one of the biggest breaks in our country as with the introduction of the seeds in the ground, we will be few steps to breaking free from the bondage of wearing secondhand clothes (commonly known as mitumba).

"We, as a country, have suffered shame putting on mitumba while all along we have had  the capability of weaving our own clothes,” said Munene, a first-time cotton farmer.

According to a report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistic, the country spent Sh11.96 billion to import secondhand clothes and foot wear in the first six months of 2019. In 2018, some 177,160 tonnes of mitumba valued at Sh17 billion was imported.

Jessie Karanja is another farmer in the area who will be planting the BT cotton this season. He said his parents were cotton farmers until the textile industry collapsed. Though farming the variety for the first time, he has expressed his uncertainty on its thriving capability

“It’s too early for the farmer to know its productivity rate in terms of plant profitability and its booming capability on the farms. If we have to succeed in this farming, then farmers have to as well push for good prices,” he said.

Last year, US Ambassador Kyle McCarter, while on a tour of Kirinyaga county, announced the arrival into the country of 40 tonnes of  Bt cotton. McCarter said planting the seeds will go a long way in bringing  about the desired  prosperity in the country.

Daniel Magondu, the chairman for the Society for Biotechnology Farmers of Kenya(Sobifak) said farmers stand to benefit much more from Bt cotton.

“We are happy with the return of cotton and this time, a more advanced variety. Years back, before the collapse of the textile industry, cotton farming was the second employer after civil service,” said Magondu, who once led Central region farmers at the Cotton Development Authority.

Owing to its inbuilt pest and disease resistance capability, the Bt cotton is not easily attacked by bollworms, hence lessening pesticide application and increasing yields.

Magondu said the conventional type takes a year to mature while Bt cotton matures within five months. This he said will give the farmer a bountiful harvest suitable to feed the textile factories that have  been sourcing a lot of their raw materials from neighbouring countries.

Magondu cited low prices as the main reason farmers are demoralised and end up losing hope in cash crop farming. He called for the need for sector players to come up with a universal price and a direct payment to farmers to keep at bay cartels who might intend to invade the sector.

“It is not the wish of Kenyans to put on mitumba. Bt cotton will come in handy like in developed countries, to solve that problem. Its high yielding capacity will result in a glut in the market, prompting the establishment of many factories that will in return weave high quality clothes to be sold at cheap prices.”

Mwea MP Kabinga Wachira welcomed the robust economic impact that will be brought about by cotton farming. He, however, reiterated the importance of collaboration between the national and county governments in supporting the sector.

"The two levels should be in a position to aggressively lobby for funds in order to help with the sustainability of the sector. All in all, it’s encouraging that Mwea has been a source of key crops ranging from rice, French beans, tomatoes, bananas and now Bt cotton,” he said.

Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru, for her part, said they have plans to fully bring the Mwea ginnery back to life.

“Revival of Mwea ginnery may require upgrading of the existing equipment, as well as putting in new ones. I have tasked my officers to look into this and come up with an operationalisation model that can be implemented,” she said.

She said production of Bt cotton per acre is projected at 1.4 tonnes against the regular cotton yields of less than 0.8 tonnes an acre. The county chief added that the potential for Bt cotton in the county is high, given there are more than 800 arable acres.

During his visit to the county, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya noted the government's commitment to reviving ginneries and enhancing the ginning capacity in cotton-growing areas with no such facilities.

He also said his ministry, through agricultural research institutions, is in the process of making improved variety due the shortage of the Bt variety that could hit the country. 

“I have asked Kalro (Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation) and Afa (Agriculture and Food Authority) to come up with modalities on how to process our own improved local breed. This includes the use of Bt species to improve our local variety to save the farmer from the trouble of buying improved seeds.”

He also revealed the government’s intention to revive other cash crops whose production failed under poor management. For instance, he said the government will pump up to Sh300 million into the revival of pyrethrum sector.

Edited by F'Orieny