The government has distributed 30 tons of cotton seeds to farmers at the Perkerra Irrigation Scheme in Baringo County, ushering in a critical program aimed at reviving the once-thriving cotton sector.

The bulking seeds will be spread across 2,500 acres in Perkerra and surrounding outgrower schemes, marking an important step toward revitalizing the cotton value chain.

Risper Chepkong’a, Baringo County Executive Committee Member, expressed profound optimism about the impact of this initiative, stating, “Cotton used to be an economic pillar of this region. However, it dwindled along the way due to a number of reasons, key of which are poor quality of inputs and low prices.”

The distribution of seeds is a part of the government’s comprehensive strategy to bolster the cotton sector under the Kenya Kwanza’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

The move aims to not only meet local demand for cotton but also to foster surplus for export, thereby significantly contributing to the nation’s economic growth.

Henry Kinyua, advisor to the president on crops, emphasized the government’s commitment to optimizing cotton production, affirming, “Kenya imports most of the cotton used by local textile firms yet Kenya has the capacity to produce more than it needs for local consumption.”

The distribution of seeds in Baringo County follows a similar effort in Busia County, where 17 tonnes of Bt cotton seeds were disbursed, marking a critical first step in the sector’s revival. The lessons gleaned from these initiatives will inform the nationwide rollout of the revival program in the selected 24 counties.