This archive report was first published on 20 July 2019.
Kenya is making strides in the fight against fake seeds, thanks to the Mulika Mbegu Mbaya campaign by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis). The campaign, which was launched to combat the prevalence of fake seeds in the market, has shown promising results, with the level of fake seeds decreasing from 40% to 2%, according to Kephis Quality Assurance General Manager Simeon Kibet.
Speaking during a farmers' field day at Rwika in Mbeere South, Embu County, Kibet urged farmers to buy seeds from registered companies and use a unique code on the packets to verify their authenticity. He also encouraged farmers to report any instances of poor germination rates or failed seeds to Kephis.
Through this method, Kephis has been able to identify and eliminate fake seeds from the market, and is working to eliminate them completely. Kibet also called on county governments to work with farmers to flag off seeds and help them report to Kephis.
As part of the campaign, Kephis has released better and higher-yielding varieties of crops such as sorghum, pearl and finger millet, green grams, cowpeas, amaranthus, and vegetables suitable for Mbeere and other semi-arid parts of the country. These new crops are designed to withstand less rainfall and mature faster, and are expected to increase yields by 10%.
Embu Agriculture Executive Annie Nyaga said that the new certified varieties of drought-resistant crops introduced by Kephis and the county government will help farmers withstand less rainfall and mature faster. She also emphasized the importance of using certified seeds for quality and disease-free seeds, and reporting any incidents of disease or pest outbreaks.
During the field day, farmers recounted their experiences with diseases and pests such as Fall Army Worm, tuta absoluta, fruit flies, mealybugs, and spider mites. Nancy Muthoni, from Kimangaru area, said that FAW infestation had devastated her maize crop for the last two consecutive years.
Published on July 20, 2019.
