Farmers in Kirinyaga County are reaping big from a new seedlings propagation centre, which is delivering quality, disease-free and affordable planting materials previously sourced from costly private producers.
The Seedlings Propagation Centre at Kangai ward which became operational last year has greatly enhanced access to certify crop for planting and helped horticulture farmers reduce cost of production.
The centre, established under Governor Anne Waiguru’s Wezesha Kirinyaga programme, has a capacity to produce up to 400,000 seedlings for crops such as tomatoes, cabbages, kales, spinach and African night-shade.
Waiguru said that the center is one of the various projects aimed at boosting horticulture production especially tomatoes whose production has increased from 46,000 tons in 2017 to 116,000 tons in 2022, earning farmers approximately Ksh 6.9 billion annually.
While undertaking routine production assessment at the Centre, the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock, Veterinary and Fisheries, Dr. John Gachara, said that the facility was established to address challenges farmers have faced in accessing clean and quality planting materials.
“Getting clean planting materials has been one of the key challenges for horticulture farmers. This particular centre ensures that our farmers get the correct materials which are clean and without disease, so that we can safeguard our soils and improve productivity,” said Dr. Gachara.
He said the centre uses certified seed and modern propagation technology to produce high-quality seedlings, while also providing farmers with agronomic advice to support better crop performance after planting.
“The centre has a capacity of producing 400,000 seedlings from certified seeds that are put under the right conditions using the technology and machines that ensure that the final seedling that the farmer gets is of high quality,” he said.
He noted that besides getting the seedlings at their doorsteps, farmers are saving about Ksh. 200 per tray of seedlings and Ksh. 1,000 for transport depending on where they previously sourced the seedlings, significantly cutting the cost of production. While some farmers could buy from private producers around Kirinyaga, others used to get them from as far as Naivasha.
Gachara added that the propagation centre that has so far sold over 100,000 seedlings in the past two seasons, also serves as a farmers’ training facility linked to the Kirinyaga Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre.
“This is not only a centre for producing seedlings but also a training centre. This year we held the first farmer field day and we expect to hold about three farmer field days every year so that we can educate our farmers on proper agronomic practices for vegetables,” said Dr. Gachara.
Cabbage, tomato and sukuma wiki farmer Daniel Githaka said the centre had given farmers greater confidence in the planting materials they purchase while also lowering prices.
“Previously we also could not confirm the quality of the seedlings we bought but with the county propagation centre, we are assured of getting the best quality seedlings at lower prices,” said Githaka, noting that the reduced prices had is highly beneficial to farmers growing several horticultural crops. Prices for tomato seedlings have also been reduced from Ksh2,200 to Ksh2,000 per crate, while capsicum has come down from Ksh1,200 to Ksh1,000,” he noted.
Tomato farmer John Muchoki said the Centre has saved farmers from tedious logistics involved in sourcing for seedlings now leaving them with adequate time to concentrate on tending their farms.
“It has reduced my farming costs because of the lower prices for the seedlings as well as the travel costs, which used to amount to about Ksh1,000 for transport. With the propagation centre now very close, I can literally walk to the centre, buy my seedlings and come back and plant. It saves me time and money,” said Muchoki. He added that the centre’s agronomic guidance was also helping him make better decisions on crop establishment and management.
Another tomato farmer, Michael Mwangi, said the availability of high-yielding tomato varieties had translated into better farm performance.
“The county government gives us Rafano and Ranco tomato seedlings, which are high-yielding seedlings, at very affordable rates. This has seen my yields increase tremendously and my profits grow,” said Mwangi.
Farmer Sammy Maringa on his part said that the centre’s biggest benefit for farmers was the ability to obtain seedlings when they were ready to plant, avoiding delays that could affect production cycles. He added that the centre could also have a wider economic impact in Kangai Ward and across the county as horticultural production expands.
“Kangai Ward is one of the most productive areas in horticulture and having access to seedlings on time has therefore gone a long way in boosting economic growth in this ward and in Kirinyaga County as a whole,” he said.
