Avocado farmers want the Kirinyaga County Government’s assistance in deploying extension officers to their farms so they can provide advice on crop management and reap economic benefits.
The farmers who have formed a group at Mutithi Ward; Mwea West Sub-County expressed fears of being duped into planting poor seedlings. They also saw massive exploitation of brokers and middlemen in the value chain.
Mary Mugo, group coordinator of the group, said that the avocado sector should follow county policies. She spoke at Riagitugu farm, Mitithi, during an induction course for newly-recruited farmers.
Bigfarm, a private nursery company, was instrumental in the induction. They are keen to ensure that farmers reap the benefits of their efforts.
She stated that the crop was in great demand in China and other countries and that the County government was responsible for providing extension services and establishing a nursery to enable them to obtain certified and high-quality seedlings.
“Presently we depend on seedlings supplied by individuals whose location of their nurseries could not be established leading to poor yields from the uncertified seedlings,” Ms Mugo said.
“The county government can establish a nursery with certified avocado seedling for farmers to access,” she added.
Kiragu Njuguna from Bigfarm shared his experiences with farmers and then developed a new method for seedling planting.
Njuguna acknowledged that the county needed to establish a nursery. However, he said the move would save farmers from the agony of relying on seedlings obtained from unknown sources.
“Giving farmers certified seeds will save them from losses. The county can establish a nursery that can supply to farmers for mutual benefit, farmers get profit as well and the county collects revenues,” Njuguna said.
The farmers recognized that there were gaps in their knowledge and needed continuous field training and support to increase their yields.
Kirinyaga County government has been working for two years on a huge program to support groups engaged in different agricultural value chains. This program has not yet materialized.
The blueprint outlines that the county distributed avocado seedlings to farmers and also created a cooperative society for avocado farmers to collectively negotiate a better price for their crop.
By Mutai Kipngetich
Source: kenyanews
