A farmer from Manga Sub-county in Nyamira County, Richard Atambo has won a motorcycle in an on-going national promotion, aimed at sensitizing farmers to purchase quality and certified seeds by Bayer East Africa Kenya.
Bayer East Africa Kenya official Barnabas Moseki announced Atambo as a winner in the promotion, which was launched in February and will end on April 30.
By purchasing genuine Dekalb maize seeds and verifying them via KEPHIS SMS codes (1393), farmers participate in the promotion while protecting themselves from purchasing fake seeds.
Atambo joins previous winners from Kipsoit in Kericho and Malava in Kakamega County who have also won motorbikes in the promotion.
He noted that he received the prize after purchasing two packets of Dekalb 8033 and 8031 maize seeds from an Agrovet shop in Kisii and followed the steps to participate in the promotion.
“I watched on television that after scratching and sending the code to 1393, one could win prizes, therefore, I followed the instructions and after two weeks, I received a call informing me that I had won a motorcycle,” Atambo said.
The farmer added that he had been planting the Dekalb seeds since 2015 because of its consistent high yields and the motorcycle will significantly boost his farming activities.
“This motorcycle will help me transport fertilizer to the farm, carry produce during harvest, and even ferry workers to the farm on time,” Atambo added.
Bayer’s representative Moseki said the initiative is aimed at encouraging farmers to check for quality marks on seed packets to avoid purchasing counterfeit seeds.
“We realized that many farmers are unknowingly buying fake seeds that result in poor yields and through this program, we are working to ensure farmers access genuine seeds,” said Moseki.
He highlighted various Dekalb seed varieties including Dekalb 777, 8033, 8031, and 9089, as well as newer yellow maize varieties such as Dekalb 7500 and 9709, which are suitable for different farming conditions.
Moseki further emphasized the importance of proper land preparation and the use of appropriate farm inputs to achieve better yields.
By Mercy Osongo
