Farmers opt other crops for farming due to high prices on pesticides

 Farmers opt other crops for farming due to high prices on pesticides

Farmers in Kirinyaga county have started venturing into fruit tree farming  due to the high cost of pesticides and other farm inputs.

John Maina used to farm tomatoes and French beans but abandoned the venture to focus on crops that require no or minimal use of pesticides.

Maina said for the 20 years he was a commercial farmer,prices on pesticides were a challenge for him and other farmers due to high prices.

"After farming for over 20 years I have shifted to pawpaw and passion fruit farming,"he said.

Jecinta Mukami  has shifted to sweet potato farming after realizing the gap in the market and also the crop does not need any chemicals.

Mukami says most farmers have also shifted from using fertilizer to locally available manure due to prices.

"Fertilisers and pesticide have become expensive for farmers, I started finding ways to make my farming practices affordable," said Mukami. 

She also cited the high prices on petrol,as having crippled farm activities.

"Farming is becoming expensive from farm inputs,chemicals used to fuel, petrol scarcity and high prices for fuel are a headache to most farmers,"she added.

 

Ends....