The revival of cotton farming in Elgeyo Marakwet has kicked off with more than 3000 farmers readying to venture into its production this year.
The farmers will be given seeds and taken through farming practices throughout the planting season.
Already, 60 tonnes of cotton seeds, enough to grow about 5,000 acres, have been delivered to the county, awaiting distribution.
The county government has entered contract farming with Rift Valley Products limited, whose ginnery is based in Salawa, Baringo county.
Through contract farming, farmers will be paid Sh72 a kilo of clean cotton, with an acre producing about 2000 kilograms, which could earn a farmer Sh144,000.
Payments, according to Amos Kirui, from Rift Valley Products, will be prompt and via mobile money transfers.
The farmers will also benefit from sorghum seeds.
And following a bumper harvest last season, which saw farmers in the region pocket around Sh30 million, more farmers are expected to venture into its production this year.
Agriculture CEC Edwin Kibor, who led farmers registration exercise, urged farmers from the cotton wards of Endo, Lower Emsoo,Soy North, Lower Tambach, Lower Sambirir, Arror, and Soy South.
Three teams were dispatched to the wards with Livestock Chief Officer Robert Lagat pitching camp in Soy North and Soy South Wards while his Agriculture counterpart Edwin Komen led another team of officers in Arror, Emsoo and Tambach Wards.
It will take three months for the cotton to be harvested.
Leonard Kandie, a cotton farmer from Kabulwo, welcomed the move, saying it would change the fortunes of several residents. “In less than 100 days, we will be able to harvest our cotton. I tried last year, it earned me good money, ” he said.
Mr Kibor said distribution exercise will commence before the beginning of April rains.
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