This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
Published on July 8, 2020, Kirinyaga County is on the cusp of a new era in cotton farming, with over 1000 farmers poised to plant BT cotton in the Mwea area.
The government's decision to legalize commercial cultivation of the crop late last year has sparked excitement among farmers, who had initially planned to plant their first seeds in April but were forced to put their plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Land that had been prepared for the purpose remains idle, awaiting the elimination of the deadly virus and the end of the current lockdown.
For Fredrick Muasya, a farmer at Ikurungu village within the South Ngariama Ranching scheme, the development is a welcome relief. He has set aside three acres of land for the new cotton variety and is upbeat about the prospects.
At his shamba, Muasya has two acres of two different cotton varieties, including the Hart 89, also known as Open Pollinated Variety (OPV), which requires at least 15 sprays before maturity to reduce cotton ball worms and cotton strainers.
According to Patrick Muriuki, Managing Director of the Integrated Community Organization for Sustainable Empowerment and Education for Development (ICOSED), the 1000 earmarked farmers have been adequately prepared through a series of workshops and field days.
"Our organization has been holding workshops and field days to equip the farmers with the skills required to start growing the BT cotton, which has no comparison with the traditional varieties," Muriuki said.
At Muasya's shamba, a traditional variety he planted alongside the Hart 89 M was yet to reach the flowering stage, while he had already harvested 500 kgs from the Hart 89 M.
"I planted these two varieties on the same day, and as you can clearly see, I have already harvested some 500 kgs from the Hart 89 M while the traditional is yet to even start flowering," Muasya said.
He expressed happiness at being able to sell his crop at Sh52 per kilogram, unlike before when brokers offered as low as Sh15 per kilogram.
However, Muasya urged the government to put stringent measures in place and have a well-structured marketing policy for the crop in anticipation of the bumper harvest expected once the BT cotton is planted for commercial purposes.
Another farmer, Jessie Mbugi, has urged the government to start preparations for the re-opening of the dormant Mwea Cotton Ginnery ahead of the expected bumper harvest.
"You find that the buyers of the cotton crop from our county pay less for the commodity since they are in business, and as farmers, we have to bear the transport costs, meaning less money into our pockets," Mbugi said.
BT cotton variety was first put on field trials at Kimbimbi area in Mwea under a lead crop scientist and Researcher Dr Charles Waturu, while the crop was launched for commercial farming early this year by the Agriculture CS Peter Munya in Western Kenya.
