Pyrethrum farmers complain about low prices of the produce

Pyrethrum farmers in Naivasha want the prices of the produce increased due to a sharp rise in the cost of production and weather vagaries.

The farmers noted that processors were paying Sh250 per kilogramme a price they termed as unfair and low as they had to pay an extra cost of drying the produce.

This came as they called on the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to address the crisis around assets and debts that the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya (PBK) owed farmers.

This emerged in Naivasha East when local farmers benefitted from over 0.5m seedlings of pyrethrum courtesy of Nakuru county government.

According to the group leader Francis Waweru, the cost of growing the produce was on the rise forcing some of the farmers to abandon the crop.

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He attributed this to the high cost of farm inputs coupled by dropping prices from some of the processors who were taking advantage of the farmer’s poverty to buy the produce at low prices.

“The processors have left the production of pyrethrum to farmers, and despite the high quality, we are poorly paid and we want the price increased to Sh300 per kilo,” he said.

Waweru challenged the Ministry of Agriculture to address the impasse around assets of PBK as farmers were not paid their dues.

Another farmer Joyce Wanjiru identified pests, availability of certified seeds and heavy rains as some of the challenges that farmers in the area were facing.

“This crop has empowered many families as the processors are paying on time, unlike in the past, and we can address our family needs,” she said.

Area MCA Stanley Karanja admitted that the farmers were getting low prices despite the market being liberalized and more players joining in.

He noted that due to the cold weather in the ward, farmers were incurring extra costs in drying the pyrethrum, leading to losses.

“The processors and the national government should assist farmers with driers while the Ministry of  Agriculture should address the ownership of PBK assets,” he said.

Naivasha sub-county agriculture officer Shelmith Mucioki said that they were working with the county government in increasing production among the farmers.

“We have distributed over 428,000 seedlings, and the national government is seeking 231,000 seedlings for Naivasha as part of increasing pyrethrum production,” she said.

On his part, the Chief Officer for Co-operative and Entrepreneurship Kibet Kurgat noted that there were only four pyrethrum cooperatives in the county thus missing out on many benefits.