- Upon maturity, the seed cotton from the scheme will be planted in 24 counties that have been selected to spearhead revival efforts.
- Farmers will earn Sh72 from the lint with an acre estimated to produce 800 kilos.
Image: COURTESY
The government has delivered 30 tons of cotton seeds to farmers at Perkerra Irrigation scheme, Baringo county in a plan aimed at turning around the fortunes of the sector once a key source of livelihood for millions of Kenyans.
The seeds, which are meant for bulking, will be planted on 2,500 acres in Perkerra and the surrounding out growers’ schemes.
It will be distributed to farmers registered on the government’s digital platform Kiamis.
The registration, which is ongoing in the county, seeks to enlist and map all farmers to enhance provision of targeted solutions and push up productivity.
The registered farmers are also accessing the subdised fertiliser at Sh2, 500.
Upon maturity, the seed cotton from the scheme will be planted in 24 counties that have been selected to spearhead revival efforts of the once vibrant cotton value chain under the Kenya Kwanza’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Farmers will earn Sh72 from the lint with an acre estimated to produce 800 kilos.
The distribution comes a few months after the government also distributed 17 tonnes of Bt cotton seeds in Busia County, marking the first step in efforts to revive the sector.
Farmers in the county, which the government is using to pilot the project, are currently harvesting their crop.
The lessons learnt in this phase will inform the rollout of the revival program in the selected 24 counties.
The government seeks to not only produce enough lint to meet the demand for local textile firms, but also have surplus for export.
“Kenya imports most of the cotton used by local textile firms yet Kenya has the capacity to produce more than it needs for local consumption,” said Henry Kinyua, advisor to the president on crops.
The government, Kinyua noted, is rolling out a number of interventions to ensure optimum production of cotton across the counties selected to implement the value the chain.
Under Kenya Kwanza plan, the government is focused on revitalising key agriculture value chains with the objective of attaining food security, cutting imports while increasing exports.
The cotton value chain is under the import reduction category.
Farmers and leaders in Baringo have now lauded the government’s move, saying it will go a long way in revitalizing livelihoods and spurring the region’s economic growth.
“Cotton used to be an economic pillar of this region. However, it dwindled along the way due to a number of reasons, key of which are poor quality of inputs and low prices,” Baringo CEC Risper Chepkong’a said during the launch.
“Low prices and lack of ready market forced cotton farmers to shift to more profitable crops such as maize seed farming."
Currently only 1,800 farmers are engaged in cotton production in the county. Last year, the farmers earned a total of Sh6.5 million, a measly sum considering the massive potential of the county.
Chepkong’a noted that the fall in the economic strength of the region coincided with the decline in cotton production.
She called on farmers in the county to seize the opportunity presented by the national government to diversify their farming activities and earn more.
National Irrigation Authority (NIA) deputy director general, corporate services Daniel Atula called advised farmers to diversify crops to avoid risks associated with one value chain.
“Don’t just grow maize. Spread the risks by diversifying production. What happens if the maze is attacked by pests or diseases?” Atula cautioned.