Sh150 million set aside to tame deadly maize disease in Rift Valley

The government and World Bank plan to spend more than Sh150 million in combating the lethal maize disease that has damaged thousands of hectares of land under the crop.

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN), a viral disease that has ravaged crops since 2012, is sparking food shortage fears and threatening the livelihood of thousands of farmers.

The cash will be used to train farmers on good crop husbandry as controlling the disease is proving difficult with most Kenyans still reluctant to practice crop rotation which is seen as the best option.

“About 18,000 hectares have been affected and as a government with our development partners, we are using extension officers to train farmers on importance of crop rotation,” said Dr Johnson Irungu, director of crops in the Agriculture ministry.

The cereal growers association said the South Rift region is expected to report a decline in production with 15 per cent of the maize crop affected by the virus.

The disease is said to have spread to most farms in Kwanza and Cherang’any areas.

In 2012, an estimated 26,000 hectares under maize were affected by the disease, leading to an estimated loss of 650,000 bags valued at Sh2 billion, according to the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari).

Last week, the Kenya Seed Company said it will manufacture new maize seed varieties resistant to diseases and weeds. “We have developed a maize seed variety that is showing high resistance to the maize lethal necrosis disease,” the managing director Willy Bett.

Maize farmers in Trans Nzoia have asked Kenya Seed to ensure it produces large quantities of the new disease-resistant variety for the next planting season.

READ: Maize disease to cut harvest in Transmara and Bomet.

“We want the Kenya Seed Company to ensure it produces the MLD-resistant variety in large quantities to avert annual losses,” the Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers chairman William Kimosong said.

The disease does not attack other plants and scientists say farmers should grow different crops each season to weaken the virus.

The government set aside Sh500 million under the seeds subsidy to help farmers who have been affected by the disease to grow alternative crops.

The National Council for Science, Kari and Egerton University are training farmers on cassava production as an alternative source of food and income.

Additional reporting by Philip Bwayo.