Cotton farmers in Busia have praised the Cabinet’s approval of a high yielding cotton variety.
Bt cotton was approved for cultivation during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta on December 19.
Bt cotton is an insect-resistant transgenic crop designed to combat the bollworm.
Teso North Cotton Farmers representative Aggrey Emojong said national trials of the cottonseed had proved that farmers will earn big from its cultivation.
“We are waiting for the delivery of seeds in March and April next year,” he told the Star.
“I went to Kirinyaga, where the national trials were done and I can assure you that farmers are going to gain. One plant has over 200 seeds and is much better than the variety we have planted for years.”
Farmer Mathias Kalanden from Budalang’i urged Kenyans to embrace the new crop because of it is high-yielding.
“Farmers are waiting for the delivery of seeds. We are prepared to plant, and we expect it to help revive the collapsed ginneries,” he said.
Edward Oteba, another farmer from Jairosi, said the cotton variety that farmers in Busia have been growing has yielded low returns to farmers who want to capitalise on the benefits that will come with the efforts aimed at reviving cotton ginneries.
The commercial farming of the plant is set to ensure farmers earn more from the crop through increased production. Bt cotton is expected to boost the manufacturing pillar of the Big Four agenda, where Kenya seeks to establish itself as a regional leader in textile and apparel production.
Hours after State House announced the cotton’s adoption, Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong announced his support for the initiative saying farmers should prepare to cash-in from the sector that has supported the economy of Busia for decades.
“Cabinet’s approval for commercial farming of Bt cotton hybrids has given my government the green light to commence the growth of the crop which had undergone trials at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation for more than five years,” Ojaamong said.
“Cotton farmers in the county should take advantage of this new cotton variety to embrace cotton farming to boost their incomes.”
He said there is a market for cotton at Rivatex Textiles in Eldoret, and selling cotton fibre should not be an issue anymore.
In July, the county chief reported that the national government had released Sh30 million towards the revival of one of Busia’s primary ginneries in Mulwanda.
This, he said, will help revitalise the cotton sector. In May, cotton farmers had accused the county government of doing little to improve cotton ginning machines after the Busia county government promised that the engines would roar back after collapsing more than a decade ago.
Funyula MP Wilberforce Mudenyo in July said cotton rival would be the surest way of boosting the economy of Busia since the soil in the county supports the crop’s cultivation.
He said leaders in the county were in talks with the national government to help lay a road map to revive the industry.
