Ailing pyrethrum sector gets Sh300m to revive business

A man works on a pyrethrum farm in Mau Narok in Nakuru County. Pyrethrum farmers have a reason to smile after the ailing industry was allocated Sh300 million in this year’s budget estimates. PHOTO/SULEIMAN MBATIAH

What you need to know:

  • The pyrethrum business has grappled with hard times for many years because of poor management of the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya (PBK) the sector's regulator.

Pyrethrum farmers have a reason to smile after the ailing industry was allocated Sh300 million in this year’s budget estimates.

Kenya was once the world’s leading producer of pyrethrum but due to poor management of the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya (PBK), the industry regulator, the business grappled with hard times for many years.

Poor pay to farmers hurt production seeing the closure of flower factories.

“We expect to see the revival of all pyrethrum nurseries to enable farmers access planting materials,” the chairman of Pyrethrum Growers Association, Samuel Kihiu, told the Saturday Nation on Friday.

OUTSTANDING DEBTS

He said the management of PBK should also be restructured while the outstanding debts that the farmers owe the board should be written-off.

Many farmers, Mr Kihiu said, have given up growing the crop due to lack of planting materials.

From 1992 to 1993 pyrethrum farmers delivered 18,000 tonnes of flowers. Last season, Mr Kihiu, who once worked as a senior officer at PBK, said the growers only managed to harvest 400 tonnes.

He urged farmers to consider farming the crop once the nurseries are revived.

Pyrethrum is grown in different counties, with Nakuru being the leading producer at the moment. Others are Nyandarua, Uasin Gishu, Bomet, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Embu and Nyeri.