More than 200 young farmers in the avocado value chain from Kisii and Nyamira counties have benefited from training on how to control Persea mite, a tiny fast-spreading pest that severely reduces fruit yield and quality.
Speaking after the training held at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre, a representative from Tupande by One Acre Fund Kenya, Clyvon Ambaa, noted the training will equip the farmers with the skills to identify and control Persea mites, which attack the avocado leaves and drain essential nutrients.
“The farmers are being trained to identify the new pest, which is very destructive to their crops and as Tupande, we remain committed to supporting the youth in the agriculture sector,” noted Ambaa.
The initiative was supported by key partners including the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service and the Agriculture and Food Authority, which are responsible for plant health, pest control and regulation of agricultural inputs, as well as the county governments of Kisii and Nyamira.
Each ward in the two counties selected two youth representatives to take part in the training, ensuring wider knowledge transfer at the grassroots level.
Kisii County Deputy Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nicholas Manyisa, said the training is aimed at educating the young farmers on the pest and equipping them with practical knowledge on how to manage it to improve avocado production.
Manyisa encouraged the youth to embrace Hass avocado farming, which has high oil content and its demand is high in the global market.
He added that the Pest Control Board was conducting research to find the best way of controlling the Persea mite.
The Director noted the county had distributed 45,000 avocado tree seedlings last year and urged the youth to take advantage of the nursery at the ATC to access additional seedlings.
Similarly, Nyamira County Director of Agriculture Vincent Morara said they are also supporting avocado farmers and will be distributing more than 10,000 avocado seedlings to farmers to increase production and boost their income.
By Mercy Osongo
