Elgeiyo Marakwet farmers turn to Pyrethrum farming
Pyrethrum farming-Photo Courtesy
By James Gitaka
Farmers in Elgeiyo Marakwet County have been called upon to embrace Pyrethrum farming in order to transform their livelihoods.
While launching a Pyrethrum program for Marakwet East and Keiyo North Sub Counties at Embobut Embolot Wards office and Mindililwo Primary school grounds respectively, the Governor noted Pyrethrum farming would be a game charger likely to catapult the economic status of Elgeiyo Marakwet County.
“I am glad our farmers are embracing this cash crop whole heartedly, this is the game changer that will catapult the economic status of our county,”Said the Governor.
The buyer,Kentegra Biotechnology Holdings, is providing farmers with seeds, fertilizers and technical support and is expected to make payments to farmers via Mpesa within 5 days of delivery.
“I call upon all our farmers to take advantage of this cash crop that will transform livelihood,”Added Governor Wesley.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Kenya was the epicenter of the world’s pyrethrum sector.
In contrast to the current state of the pyrethrum sector in Kenya, where total production across the 18 counties that produce the crop stands at a mere 350 tonnes annually, a paltry two per cent of world demand.
In its heyday, some 200,000 farmers directly earned a living from the crop, which also indirectly supported about four million people.
H.E Governor Wesley Rotich with a section of pyrethrum Farmers in Elgeiyo Marakwet County.
Today only 7,000 farmers cultivate the crop, earning an insignificant $147,000 annually.
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