KITALE, Kenya
Kenya Seed Company (KSC), the country’s seed producer has announced a major investment venture to increase productivity and curb fake products flooded by unscrupulous dealers in the market.
The firm’s MD Willy Bett said that the company has completed 4 million U.S. dollars irrigation installation project to help the production seed twice a year to be able to meet the demand for the seed regional.The firm currently produces seeds once a year due to inadequate rain.
“The irrigation installation at our Elgon Down will help the company grow seed two times per season. This will enable us attain adequate supplier to meet the regional demand,” said the official on Wednesday.
He said the company has began producing seeds in Burundi and Rwanda in bid to reduce importation cost and also produce enough seeds for the local consumers.
The company has developed new security measures to lock out unscrupulous dealers from producing and selling bogus seeds to farmers.
“We have unveiled a major investment (classified) targeting unscrupulous dealers and the measure will make it difficult to fake our products,” said the MD during a press briefing in Kitale in Western Kenya.
Bett said the company has deregistered several seed stock-lists in the country including a leading supermarket in Kitale for producing and selling fake seeds to unsuspicious farmers. The official said that the company has started vetting new stock- lists after blacklisting those found engaging in shoddy deals to exploit farmers.
“We have invested a lot of resources in intelligence and package processes. We will vet stock-lists through the involvement the Kenya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) who must give us a clean bill of health of the business people wanting to work with the company,” he said.
He said the production of the seed through irrigation will enhance availability of the seed from season to season.
“Apart from investing in research we have also focused on irrigation farming to check climate change and environmental challenges and able to provide enough seed to meet the regional,” he said.
The MD said more emphasis has been directed to research to improve the current seed varieties which are disease resistant and drought escaping.
“Our research department has toiled hard to identify and also improve the best ecological varieties to enhance productivity among the farmer,” said Bett.
The official also announced that the firm has organized a one day regional research field day at its Elgon down Farm to expose farmers to various research and micro-economic practices to assist them double production. Multi chemical companies have been invited to take part in the field day.
He encouraged farmers to make use of information provided by the KSC and the ministry of agriculture and translate to practical as away to double production and fight hunger.
“Our aim is to expose local farmers and from neighbouring African continent to learn on relevant research practices and application of modern technologies to enhance yields,” he added. (Xinhua)
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