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Farmers crying over Fall Army Worm Invasion

By Irissheel Shanzu | 1d ago

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Armyworm infestation dameges cripples coffee production in West Pokot.[File,Standard]

West Pokot County is feeling the full impact of damage caused by armyworms that have invaded every food and cash-crop field in the region.

Farmers are now calling on the government to intervene and rescue them from the growing crisis.

A visit to Kishaunet village, about one kilometre from Kapenguria town, reveals the extent of the problem.

Charles Okolia, a seasoned coffee farmer with many years of experience, says the crop has long supported his family, but the persistent armyworm infestation is crippling his production.

“Coffee farming has sustained my family for years, but now the armyworms are destroying my crops. I don’t know what else to do. I am appealing to the government to step in and help us,” he said.

A few metres from Okolia’s home lives another farmer, Ruth Lomong’in, an older woman who has long relied on coffee farming to meet her basic needs.

She says the lack of effective pesticides to control the pests has not only reduced production but also affected access to markets.

“The absence of proper chemicals to control these armyworms has greatly affected our yields. This is the biggest blow to my family because coffee is our main source of income,” she said.

Coffee farming in the county remains relatively rare, but it has increasingly attracted maize farmers due to its high returns, reliable markets, and better income prospects.

However, the continued lack of pest control solutions threatens to undermine production, dealing a major setback to farmers who had hoped to diversify into the crop.

During a recent visit to West Pokot County earlier this month, Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Wycliffe Oparanya, assured coffee farmers across the country that the government is working to secure international markets for the produce.

However, farmers warn that unless the armyworm invasion is urgently addressed, these efforts may not bear fruit, leaving them to suffer the consequences.

“If the government does not act on these pests, even the search for international markets will not help us. We will have nothing to sell,” one farmer lamented.

Related Topics

West Pokot County Armyworm Invasion Agriculture Coffee Farming

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