Stakeholders in the cotton industry from Busia and Siaya counties have called for the establishment of cotton seed manufacturing plants across the country to curb the recurring crisis of seed shortages and delayed distribution.
They said the plants will help in the development of new seed varieties as well as ensure sustainability, timely planting and national textile competitiveness.
Speaking when a Thika based textile industry, Thika Cloth Mills in partnership with the national government distributed over 30 tons of cotton seeds to farmers, they said local seed manufacturing plant will rejuvenate farming of the crop and reduce the challenges farmers face when accessing seeds.
In Busia, the farmers welcomed the distribution of the seeds saying it will align with their planting season set for June while those in Siaya expressed concerns that the delays will affect production. "We appreciate the government and Thika Cloth Mills for this gesture, but the long-term solution lies in establishing local seed production centres.
