County Agriculture Department promises Fast Maturing Maize Seeds

Nakuru,

Thursday, October 26, 2023

KNA by Veronica Bosibori

Nakuru County Deputy Governor, David Kones, today hosted a team from the Western Seed Company, led by the General Manager, Ambassador James Ochami to explore a potential partnership with Nakuru County in the provision of hybrid seeds.

Ambassador Ochami said the collaboration, in conjunction with the County Agriculture Department, promises to bring a variety of hybrid maize seeds to the farmers. A standout among these is the Haraka WH 101, a fast-maturing breed that can be ready for harvest within a period of 2 to 2.5 months, yielding an impressive 22-26 bags per acre.

Ochami also said the company plans to offer chicks, which can mature and be ready for sale within 25-35 days. Adding that the initiative would be a boost to farmers, who will benefit from subsidized prices offered by the County.

Mr Kones who was accompanied by the Agriculture Chief Officer, Newton Mwaura, expressed optimism that the potential partnership would be a game changer in addressing food security in the county, considering the erratic weather patterns farmers have to contend with.

The Deputy Governor noted that the partnership could herald a revolution in chicken rearing for poultry farmers, who currently face high expenses, particularly with the exorbitant prices of feed.

And to show commitment to this initiative, the team was offered a space at the Agriculture Training Center (ATC) at Soilo. Where they will do demonstrations and train farmers on new practices before the program can be considered.

In the recent past there has been an augmented variety of maize seeds, unlike in the past when almost all the farmers depended on the Kenya Seed Company for their seeds, which were labelled in familiar numbers depending on the weather and altitude of an area.

This year some farmers in the county were forced to replant when their maize seeds failed to germinate, and others in Baringo County, the maize cobs had nothing inside.

A maize farmer in Bahati Julius Kiarie, welcomed the increased variety of seeds, but appealed to the agricultural extension officers to educate and assist farmers to select the best variety for their areas.

He said in the past when seeds were sold only at the Kenya Farmers’ Association (KFA) shops, farmers were educated on the variety suitable for their areas. However, the liberated market and lack of control enabled many shops to start selling seeds, without the understanding of the suitable ones for particular areas.

Courtesy; KNA