The government will begin fast-tracking approval of pyrethrum-based pesticides in a bid cut down losses associated with the use of harmful synthetic pesticides used by farmers.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has directed the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) to ensure adoption of safer and residue-compliant solutions that will help the country reduce reliance on imported synthetic pesticides estimated at 20 million kilograms annually.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with stakeholders in the macadamia sub-sector, Kagwe said the use of harmful pesticides are compromising Kenya’s premium export markets hence the need for counties to also intensify sensitization of farmers.
He said the government is committed to rebuilding the country’s pyrethrum value chain to ensure farmers have access to reliable, affordable pest control alternatives that protect both yields and market standards.
According to Macadamia Association of Kenya (MACNUT) chairperson Jane Maigua, harmful pesticides and aggressive pest attacks are destroying up to 40pc of national production equivalent to Ksh 2.88 billion each year.
The association said Kenya produces 45,000 metric tonnes of macadamia annually, with 44,100MT being marketable. However, an estimated 17,640MT are lost to insect damage, including 2,222.64 MT of high-value exportable kernels, translating into billions in lost revenue.
Maigua added that the industry also spends heavily on electricity and labour at processing facilities as workers sort out insect-bitten nuts, further compounding the economic burden.
Kagwe further issued strict instructions on protecting the intellectual property of PPCK, noting that any private company using PPCK’s scientific formulation data must pay for access or have their letters of access withdrawn immediately.
