Pyrethrum farmers want radical changes in sector

By Antony Gitonga

Pyrethrum farmers have proposed radical changes in the running of the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya (PBK).

They want the chairman of the board elected through universal suffrage by pyrethrum farmers from every region.

They also want section four of the Pyrethrum Act amended to have the farmers elect seven representatives within the respective regions.

This emerged during a meeting for farmers’ representatives in which it was agreed that the managing director would be hired through competitive bidding.

Amend act

Reading the statement, Mr Boniface Thuo Gutu, who chaired the meeting, noted that they were opposed to the amendment of the Pyrethrum Act currently in Parliament.

He termed the Act sponsored by Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni as misleading and accused some brokers of sponsoring the amendment for ulterior motives.

Gutu called for the establishment of more insecticide formulation factories as 98 per cent of the produce is exported.

"Section 16 of the Pyrethrum Act should stay to protect our sweat since PBK is wholly owned by pyrethrum farmers," he said.

He said that under the Act, PBK was established after it was realised that the product was a poison that could only be traded by registration.

Thuo accused some brokers of sponsoring the amendment of the Act yet they are paying Sh30 per kilogramme compared to PBK payment of between Sh100 and Sh375.

"We are aware of the cash flow problems at PBK that have not allowed us to post surplus profits that would be paid out as bonus," he said. During the meeting, the farmers resolved to ensure that the country remains the number one producer of pyrethrum.

The proposed changes seek liberalisation of the sector and bring in competition for better prices.

It is argued that one of the factors leading to low pyrethrum production is the requirement by law that farmers market their crop through PBK.