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Farmers within the Coastal counties have received over 43,000 coconut seedlings from the national government to improve production.
Through the Agriculture and Food Authority and Commodities Fund, the government availed the seedlings to address the dwindling coconut tree population.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi presided over the launch of National Coconut Week in Kilifi where he noted that reduced tree population translated to low production, leading to reduced household incomes.
“We need to work together to plant more coconut trees and maximise its production in order to meet this varied product demand which extends from the leaves, the flower, tender nuts through to the mature nuts,” Linturi said.
The coconut value chain is one of the key agricultural subsections in the coastal region and supports an estimated 1 million people due to its effective forward and backward linkages, he added.
The CS asked state departments and agencies, counties, research institutions, and coconut farmers to improve production for both local consumption and export.
“I urge the county governments to ensure sustainability in the supply of quality coconut planting materials and the delivery of extension services towards increasing productivity from the annual lows of 30 nuts per tree to highs of 150 nuts per tree.”
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya revealed that the government will allocate funds in the next financial year’s budget to ensure coconut farming thrives.
The MP said he has proposed a new bill in the National Assembly for the formation of a Coconut and Cashewnut Authority.
“When the oil and nuts authority funds come in, very little is put into the production of coconuts. So I have suggested that we do away with that directorate and form an authority that will better look after the interests of coconut and cashew plants,” Baya explained.
Agriculture and Food Authority representative Calistus Kundu said a two-day conference will be held in Kilifi to discuss how to improve coconut production across all six coastal counties.
“We shall also work together to plant the seedlings that have been provided today from the 20th to the 26th of this month to ensure that none of the seedlings will be left out,” he added.
Kilifi Agriculture and Crops Chief Officer Teddy Yawa said the government has been working hard to ensure the plant is given priority.
“According to 2019 statistics we are the ones leading in the production of coconut plants. Fifty two per cent of the entire coconut tree populations is in Kilifi,” Yawa said.
James Katana, who spoke on behalf of coconut farmers, said diseases and pests attack trees in their farms and urged the government to provide a lasting solution.
“We are also asking the government to provide us with modern, improved hybrid coconut seedlings because the ones that we currently receive have lost value and are currently doing very poorly in this region.”
BY THE STAR