Thika Cloth Mills Company has distributed 632kg hybrid seeds worth Kshs1.2 million in Taita Taveta County.
The seeds issued is part of a wider effort to increase cotton production and aid recovery of Kenya’s textile industry.
According to Tejal Dhodhia, the Chief Executive Officer of the Thika Cloths Mills, the cotton industry sector was at the verge of collapse especially when Covid-19 struck the country.
However, she said the demand for the produce in the country was very high forcing them to cross borders and import the essential cash crop adding that in February this year, she sourced the raw material from Uganda.
“I urge more farmers to embrace cotton farming as is one of the crops with a very elaborate value chain benefiting many players such as farmers, ginners and manufacturers among others,” she said.
According to Kyochiku Ramathan the chairlady of Taita Taveta Cotton Farmers said lack of good seeds and exploitation by brokers has been a big challenge saying this had made many farmers abandon the crop but now they will embark on cultivation since the market is there.
According to Famuel Lubanga, deputy Marketing Director at Agriculture Food Authority (AFA), farmers should shift to cotton farming as there is ready market and that the government would give more incentives in order to support them.
“Farmers should take advantage of the seeds and embark on farming to boost their income since cotton was drought resilient unlike maize and beans and generates income amongst farmers in the arid and semi-arid areas,” he said.
Lubanga said the government was embarking on reviving collapsed ginneries and other cooperative societies.
