Farmers seek cover against crop loss
Mr Vincent Nzive displays stunted maize crops at his farm in Makaveti, Machakos County on July 13, 2014. His counterparts in Rift Valley have called for insurance cover against such losses. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE
What you need to know:
- Kipkorir Menjo, director of the Kenya Farmers Association, challenged the government to put in place proper agricultural policies that will motivate farmers to increase crop productivity.
- Coffee production in Rift Valley increased from 19,573.38 to 65,618.50 tonnes last year following allocation of Sh81 million by Coffee Development Fund (CDF) to boost cultivation of the crop.
Cereal farmers in Rift Valley want the government to allocate more funds to the sector for disease control and insurance cover against losses caused by natural calamities.
The farmers on Tuesday said these factors have been the cause of a decline in crop production in the region and recurrent food insecurity in the country.
“Inadequate funding makes it difficult to urgently resolve disease outbreak like maize Lethal Necrosis and cushion farmers from losses caused by floods or drought,” said Kipkorir Menjo, director of the Kenya Farmers Association (KFA).
He spoke at a farmers’ meeting at Moiben in Eldoret sub-county on Saturday.
He challenged the government to put in place proper agricultural policies that will motivate farmers to increase crop productivity.
At the same time maize farmers who suffered losses after the crop was damaged by drought and repeated outbreak of Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease are shifting to horticulture, coffee and dairy production which they deem to be more rewarding.
COFFEE BERRIES
Coffee production in Rift Valley increased from 19,573.38 to 65,618.50 tonnes last year following allocation of Sh81 million by Coffee Development Fund (CDF) to boost cultivation of the crop.
A kilogram of coffee berries is selling at Sh60 which most consider to be more profitable than maize that can fetch as low as Sh1, 500 per 90 kg.
Horticultural production has also improved with farmers in the North Rift region generating about Sh14 billion last year, according to the region’s annual agricultural report.
