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She assured farmers that there would be enough seeds and good fertilisers from now onwards.
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Her remarks came after President Ruto warned manufacturers and distributors on fake farm inputs saying those found will face the ‘music they deserve’.
Image: FILE
Kenya Seed Company chairperson Purity Ngirici has said the high demand for seeds has now led to an increase in some outlets selling fake seeds to farmers
Speaking during an interview on KBC, Ngirici advised farmers on what to check to differentiate between real and fake seeds.
"There are people who want to destroy the food security for this country by taking advantage of the demand being high,” she said.
"Once you buy a packet of seeds, make sure the sticker from Kephis is scratchable and send that number to a toll-free number and get a response whether the seeds are real or fake."
She assured farmers that there would be enough seeds and good fertilisers from now onwards, after the government’s partnership with the multi-agencies and Kephis among other departments.
Her remarks came after President William Ruto warned manufacturers and distributors on fake farm inputs on March 20, saying those found will face the ‘music they deserve’.
"We are going to make sure that those who sell fake seeds and fake fertiliser face the music that they deserve," President Ruto warned.
The president warned that the government will use its mighty to firmly deal with elements keen on ensuring that the government's agriculture sector interventions fail.
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service chairman Joseph M’eruaki said they have so far intercepted around 18 metric tonnes of fake seeds of various types across the country, worth over Sh80 million.
“But most of it is maize,” M’eruaki told journalists.
Kephis is a government parastatal whose responsibility is to ensure the quality of agricultural inputs and produce to prevent adverse impacts on the economy, the environment, and human health.
M’eruaki decried the situation saying Kenyans have lost their values and will go to any lengths to get money, including killing or endangering the lives of even their family members.
He said seed is key in food production and security in the country, thus messing with the seed is messing with Kenyans’ lives.