This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
Published on August 12, 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture aims to boost pyrethrum production in the country. Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri has announced plans to increase land under pyrethrum from the current 6,000 hectares to 18,000 hectares by next year.
During a field visit to a pyrethrum farm in Eburru, Gilgil, Kiunjuri said the government is restructuring the Pyrethrum Processing Company to support more farmers. The programme aims to increase pyrethrum production to 18,000 tonnes annually, with the government targeting the Chinese market.
Pyrethrum production in the country currently stands at 500 tonnes per year, following a drop in the number of farmers involved in production. However, Agriculture Principal Secretary, Hamadi Boga, said the sector has shown signs of improvement, with hundreds of farmers in the area benefiting from pyrethrum farming.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui praised the county's efforts to revive the sector, saying that the county has allocated Sh45 million to buy pyrethrum seedlings. He added that the county has spent Sh70 million to support pyrethrum farmers to date.
Gilgil MP Martha Wangari said that pyrethrum farming has empowered hundreds of farmers in the area who in the past depended on maize farming.
