Kenya Seed Company managing director Azariah Soy has refuted claims that there has been head smut disease in Trans Nzoia County and also assured farmers that all is well. He said cases of the disease were reported in the neighboring county of Nandi with only three acres of land, Moiben four acres, and Iten three acres saying that the infestation is really insignificant promising farmers that plans were under way to ensure the disease is eliminated.
He disclosed that the disease is a result of fungi that is ingrained in the soil and can stay there for almost four to five years, thriving mostly in lowland areas and have the capacity to retain water in the soil. He refuted claims that the disease is produced through poor quality seeds.
He appealed to farmers to practice crop rotation in order to cut the cycle of disease from spreading faster in various crops, given that mono-cropping only helps to retain the disease in the farm for long making it hard to be controlled. He also advised farmers not to give the affected crops to their cattle because it will only lead to a faster spread through dung.
“The animals will only help to spread the disease through their dung, making it spread faster and it will, in turn, make it difficult to be controlled. Also, they should practice hygiene, and whenever they find any infected crop they should uproot and destroy it,” he explained, adding that farmers who have practiced the correct disease control methods have had best results.
He assured farmers that there are enough certified seeds for the farmers, and dispelled fears of a shortage of seeds in the county.
He said that some of the challenges being faced by the seed company include inadequate land for seed production as producing the quality seeds need isolation of crops from 200 to 400metres. As a result, he appealed to the government to retain the Agricultural Development (A.D.C) Corporation farms and use them effectively for seed production and also appealed to some farmers to avoid subdividing their farms in small plots.
He said currently, the seed company is handling 50 acres and above and currently the seed cane are planting 24,000 acres of seed production in the county, with 25 metric tonnes currently available in the county, saying it is self-sufficient with seeds for farmers.
He however, said that seed production might face severe challenges if the said farms will be subdivided and given to individuals, as this might lead to the seed company’s collapse, forcing them to relocate elsewhere which will heavily affect the country’s economy.
