This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
Published on August 10, 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture has embarked on a mission to revive the pyrethrum sector, which has been struggling in recent years.
Under the ambitious plan, the government aims to increase the land under pyrethrum production from the current 6,000 hectares to 8,000 hectares within the next year.
This move is expected to boost production to 18,000 tonnes annually, with the government targeting China as the new market.
According to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, the government remains committed to reviving the sector, which at one time generated billions of shillings annually.
Speaking during a farmer's field day in Gilgil, Kiunjuri said, 'We are keen to revive this sector and our plans is to increase acreage from the current 6,000 to 18,000 in the next one year.'
As part of the plan, the government is restructuring the Pyrethrum Processing Company to support farmers through the provision of seedlings.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui has also pledged to allocate Ksh 45 million towards buying more seedlings, which will be supplied to farmers within the county.
Gilgil MP Martha Wangari believes that the sector has the potential to transform the fortunes of the local community.
She said, 'Through the CDF we are keen to rehabilitate feeder roads in this constituency so that farmers can easily ferry their produce to the market.'
However, pyrethrum production has dropped significantly, with the current production standing at 500 tonnes per year, following a decline in farmers involved in the production.
