Kirinyaga farmers cut costs with county seedlings centre

Farmers in Kirinyaga County are benefiting from reduced production costs due to a new Seedlings Propagation Centre established under Governor Anne Waiguru's Wezesha Kirinyaga programme. Located in Kangai ward, the centre has the capacity to produce up to 400,000 seedlings annually for crops like tomatoes, cabbages, kales, spinach, and African night-shade.

The centre has addressed the challenge of accessing clean, disease-free planting materials, which has been a significant issue for horticulture farmers. By using certified seeds and modern propagation technology, the facility provides high-quality seedlings at a fraction of the cost previously charged by private producers. Farmers now save an average of Ksh. 200 per tray of seedlings and Ksh. 1,000 for transport, which used to be incurred when sourcing seedlings from far-off locations such as Naivasha.

The centre not only supplies seedlings but also serves as a training facility for farmers, offering agronomic advice to improve crop performance. Tomato farmer Daniel Githaka and capsicum farmer John Muchoki have reported that the reduced prices and improved quality of seedlings from the county centre have significantly benefited their farming operations, allowing them to focus more on tending to their crops.

The availability of high-yielding tomato varieties at affordable rates has translated into better farm performance, as reported by tomato farmer Michael Mwangi. The centre's timely availability of seedlings has also helped avoid production cycle delays, benefiting farmers in Kangai Ward and across Kirinyaga County.