More than 400 cotton farmers in Taita Taveta County expect to increase their yields following the distribution of hybrid seeds worth Kshs. 1.2 million.
The 632kg seeds issued by Thika Cloth Mills Company is part of a wider effort to increase cotton production and aid recovery of Kenya’s textile industry.
This comes at a time when demand for the produce in the country rises with buyers scrambling for supplies.
The Thika Cloths Mills CEO Tejal Dhodhia said the sector was at the verge of collapse especially when COVID-19 struck the country but state initiatives such as tenders for local manufacturers to make uniforms for Kenya’s disciplined forces sustained the industry.
“We depended on manufacturing fabric for school uniforms but when schools were closed down due to corona, we almost closed down the factory sake for the government that came to our rescue,” said Dodhia.
Tejal who thanked the government for the good gesture said now it’s the turn for local manufactures to reciprocate the same by helping farmers with seeds, pesticides and other inputs as well as ensuring ready market for the produce.
She however said demand for the produce in the country was very high forcing them to cross borders and import the essential cash crop adding that in February this year, she sourced the raw material from Uganda.
She urged for more farmers to embrace cotton farming as is one of the crops with a very elaborate value chain benefiting many players such as farmers, ginners and manufacturers among others.
Agriculture Food Authority (AFA) deputy Marketing Director Fanuel Lubanga told the farmers to shift to cotton farming as there was ready market and that the government would give more incentives in order to support them.
Lubanga said farmers should take advantage of the seeds and embark on farming to boost their income adding that cotton was drought resilient unlike maize and beans and generate income amongst farmers in the arid and semi-arid areas.
He further said the government was embarking on reviving collapsed ginneries and other cooperative societies.
Kyochiku Ramathan who is the chairlady of Taita Taveta Cotton Farmers said lack of good seeds and exploitation by brokers has been a big challenge saying this had made many farmers abandon the crop but now they will embark on cultivation since the market is there.
* 1.00 US Dollar = 107.28889 Kenyan Shillings
Source: https://www.kbc.co.ke/