Residents of Ruiri Rwarera Buuri East Sub-County have been urged to join cotton societies in the area so as to benefit with seedlings ahead of the planting season.
The area has black cotton, a type of soil agriculture experts refer to as the best for cotton farming.
Former nominated MCA in the Meru County Assembly Betty Kinya Kiambati said that through the Tutua Cotton Cooperative office, plans to register farmers is ongoing.
“Through our Tutua cotton cooperative office, registration for farmers is ongoing so that we can plan for the volume of seedlings we need for our farmers. I call upon you to take the advantage before closing dates,” said Kinya.
A picture of mature BT Cotton variety that is ready for harvesting.
The former MCA noted that unlike other regions in Meru county where several crops do well, cotton is the most reliable cash crop favorable to the climate in Ruiri Rwarera.
“For those who had not planted last season, there was a bumper harvest and the prices were attractive. Let’s all join the cooperative for easy planning,” she added.
Kinya also noted that the data that will be collected through registration will help in identifying farmers to be targeted as beneficiaries of other farm inputs among them fertilizer and chemicals.
During her tenure as a nominated MCA between 2017-2022, Kinya moved a motion at the Meru County Assembly proposing cotton to be made a cash crop, giving hope to farmers to press on with the agricultural practice they had started giving up on.
Charles Muchena a cotton farmer attends to his farm./ PHOTO. Mwenda Kinoti
Since then, the farmers started going back to cotton farming despite challenges among them lack of market, training, pesticides and funds for seedlings.
Currently, through ginneries and partners, farmers are able to access a variety known as BT Cotton introduced by the National government when Peter Munya served as the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary.
Charles Muchena, a Cotton farmer from Mumui Tigania West says that the BT variety has high yields compared to the traditional one.
“When the BT crop variety was introduced to us, we realised increased harvest. An acre can produce up to 1000 kilos compared to the other variety where we used to harvest 600 kilos per acre” said Muchena.
