Farmers in Kenya's Rift Valley province are reaping the benefits of the government's latest drive to promote cotton farming in the country.
Over the past 18 months, an estimated 140,000 small holder farmers have received Sh80 million ($1.2 million) in the form of input supplies that are expected to result in improved yields and earnings at the end of the current season. Last year the government set aside an estimated Sh250 million ($4 million) to help revive the cotton industry that collapsed nearly 20 years ago with the influx of cheap textile and second hand clothes imports.
Mr. Kiprotich Chomboi, the Rift Valley provincial Crops officer, said the effort has seen pesticides and 40 tonnes of seed developed by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute distributed to farmers in seven districts of the province. The aim, he said, is to put some 3,000 hectares of land under cotton. He said an estimated 1,700 farmers have been registered in the seven districts and are expected to take part in the election of directors for the newly created Cotton Development Authority. The board comprises of 12 directors seven of who represent farmers from the eight cotton growing areas while the rest will be government appointees.
A Ministry of Agriculture report indicates that although close to 2 million hectares of land in Nyanza, Western, Rift Valley, Central, Eastern and Coast provinces is suitable for cotton farming, only 76,000 hectares is under cultivation.
With the improved seeds, the farmers are expected to reap improved yields of 1,000 kilogrammes per acre up, from the average of 250 kilogrammes per hectare that they have been getting compared to Pakistan's 500, Israel's 1,400, Mexico's 1,000 and Australia's 1,200
kilogrammes per hectare.
Mr. Chomboi said stake holders had agreed that the ginneries would buy fibre from farmers at a minimum price of Sh22 (US 33 cents) for every kilogramme delivered. Most ginneries are now offering Sh25 per kilogramme.
The farmer groups are not well organized and due to market liberalisation, the roles and responsibilities of the Kenya Cotton Board have become obscure.
Business Daily
To ease your site search, article categories are at bottom of page.
