Horticulture farmers in the country earned Sh158 billion from exports in 2018.
This is according to Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) Managing Director (MD) Dr. Esther Kimani.
She said the sector has been contributing to the Country’s economy and thus the government should pump more money in it.
She said that the earnings were accrued from the sale of flowers (roses), vegetables (French beans and green grams) and fruits (avocado, mangoes, capsicum, and macadamia) to mention a few.
She was speaking during a field study accompanied by the Head of Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) Mr. Nzioka Waita in Sultan Hamud in Mukaa Sub-county.
Dr. Kimani advised farmers to only purchase seeds from registered and certified vendors in order to get quality and quantity produced.
“The farmers should take seriously what they have learned and put it into practice and boost our crop production in the country,” she said.
On his part, the Kilome Member of Parliament (MP) Engineer Thaddeus Kithua Nzambia said lack of water was a major challenge to the farmers in the area.
In this regard, he said that he would lobby in Parliament to ensure more money was allocated to agriculture so that the monies would be channeled to construct earth pans that would help farmers initiate irrigation in their farms.
“I shall lobby for money in budgetary allocations in Parliament. The money will be channeled to remote areas to construct water pans to harvest rainwater to help cultivate the land,” he said.