admin_county March 29, 2021

Economy blooms as Kuresoi South farmers reap big from pyrethrum farming

Over 231 farmers in Kuresoi South who were given free pyrethrum seedlings by the Nakuru County government have started reaping benefits from the crop.

Those interviewed said they harvest the cash crop twice a month and now pocket good money enabling them to pay their children’s school fee with ease as well as boosting their livelihoods.

” I am now like any other salaried person because I harvest the crop twice a week and sell them after every month Ksh. 200 a kilo and get at least sh. 15,000 monthly. I have, therefore, extended a half an acre and am waiting for rains to start so that I plant one more acre,” Joshua Tonui said

He added that before planting pyrethrum, he used to plant potatoes and peas that were costly and required intensive care with a lot of fertilizers, spraying with chemicals only to be disappointed by exploitative selling prices.

In 2018, Governor Lee Kinyanjui launched the Pyrethrum Revival program that saw farmers from Kuresoi South, Kuresoi North, Subukia, Gilgil and Molo.

Joseph Koech, Julius Langat, Amos Tuitoek and Alfred Koech are among the farmers who got the seedlings for a quarter of an acre but have expanded after realising that the crop was well paying.

They thanked the Governor for reviving the crop and bringing in investors who buy from them at good prices adding that according to experts the produce from the region has high pyrethrin content.

” We are so much grateful to Governor Lee Kinyanjui for showing us the way. Once you have planted only weeding is required. He put money in our pockets. This is a true leader who minds for his electorate,” he said

Koech however, said, having seen how the crop has changed the lives of many, there is high demand for seedlings among the locals, so requested the County government to distribute more seedlings before the onset of heavy rains in April.

Sub-county Agricultural Officer, Ms Grace Langat said the farmers in 2018, 2019 and 2020 got disease-free and certified pyrethrum planting materials from the County Government of Nakuru under the pyrethrum revival program.