Thousands of farmers in Kirinyaga County have been trained on safe use of agrochemicals in a campaign aimed at mitigating the potential negative impacts of chemicals in humans and the environment.
The training program undertaken through collaboration between the National and the County government targeted rice farmers from the expansive Mwea Rice Irrigation Scheme, horticulture, as well as tea and coffee farmers.
Governor Anne Waiguru said that the county has been educating farmers on use and reduction of agrochemicals especially in horticultural produce such as tomatoes and French beans.
“Statistics have shown that cancer cases in our county are on the rise and since we are not sure of the cause, we are putting effort to reduce use of chemicals on our produce and see whether we can arrest the challenge.” Said the governor, pointing out that besides campaigns on safe use of pesticides, her administration has also been training farmers to undertake organic farming, an effort that is bearing fruits.
Safe use of agrochemicals involve practices that minimize risks to human health, the environment or non-targeted organisms while ensuring effective application for pest and disease control.
Speaking during one of the training sessions in Mwea, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Dr. John Gachara, emphasized the importance of the initiative, noting that improper use of pesticides has been a major challenge particularly among small holder farmers hence the need for sensitization on the matter.
“Many farmers misuse chemicals, leading to hazards that affect both them and consumers,” he said pointing out that the county has also trained agricultural extension officers as well as 112 recently recruited agripreneurs who have been pivotal in equipping farmers with the right knowledge on agrochemicals.
Gachara noted that proper use of agrochemicals would go a long way in mitigating health risks and improving the quality of agricultural produce in the county. Kirinyaga is predominantly an agricultural county with about 80 percent of its population practicing agriculture.
The initiative that targeted all major farming cooperatives across the county is aligned to Governor Waiguru’s broader agricultural agenda, which seeks to empower farmers through knowledge, resources, and sustainable farming techniques that will enhance food safety standards while boosting farmers’ productivity and market access.
Julian Wairimu, a representative from the Mwea Irrigation Water Users Association, highlighted the importance of the training in as far as eradicating unsafe use of pesticide use and safeguarding the health of users and consumers was concerned, thanking governor Waiguru for the initiative.
Peter Chege, another leader from the association, acknowledged the significance of the initiative. “We are collaborating with the government to train our farmers on the safe use of pesticides and this training will ensure that the food we produce for local and international markets meet the international safety standards.” He said.
Julian Wairimu, a youthful farmer from Mwea said she was very excited for being part of the campaigns on safe use of agrochemicals so as to safeguard the health of produce consumers.
Some of the elements that the farmers have been trained on include correct product selection, personal protection equipment as well as chemical handling. They were also taught on duration of harvesting diverse crops after pesticide application. These are practices all aimed at reducing the potential negative impacts of agrochemicals while maximizing their effectiveness in crop management.
By Christine Muchira
