Cotton farmers in Homa Bay County have urged the government to put in place mechanisms to increase cotton prices.

Led by Homa Bay County Cotton Co-operative Union Chairman John Akoko, the farmers lamented that the production expenses are not commensurate to the prices at which they sell their produce.

Akoko said they currently sell one kilogram of cotton at Sh72 which he said was too little to earn them a decent profit. "The cost of producing cotton is so high that the price at which we sell does not recoup resources we invest," the official said.

He noted that the high cost of living has escalated the cost of labour. "The people we hire these days need more wages than what we used to pay them before," Akoko said.