Articles
REVIVAL STATUS OF THE PYRETHRUM INDUSTRY IN KENYA
Article number
1073_2
Pages
27 – 37
Language
English
Abstract
The Kenya pyrethrum industry is undergoing metamorphosis on its way to recovery.
The recovery process started with the restructuring process that produced a revival plan.
Implementation of the revival road map addresses production, marketing, technological, institutional and funding challenges.
There has been a declining trend in flower deliveries to the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya (PBK) since the beginning of the 21st century, recording the lowest production of 462 metric tons in the 2009/10 pool year.
The flower deliveries adversely affected supplies of pyrethrum extracts to all the Boards market segments.
Kenya has become an unreliable supplier of the pyrethrum extracts with concerns of losing customers to synthetic pyrethroids.
The dwindling income has greatly reduced crop research activities.
The Board has identified technologies on weed management, pest and disease management, drying, and variety development to target for improvement.
The Pyrethrum Board of Kenya has been reorganized into a new organizational structure backed with new systems and procedures intended to improve governance and management of resources.
Funding implementation of the revival plan has been very erratic.
The Government financed the restructuring process, but has not provided funds for the recovery process for the last two years.
After a 9-year tumultuous period, there are good prospects on the road to recovery.
The area under the crop has increased from 4,000 ha (2009/10) to 8,000 ha (2010/11). There is increased demand for planting material as a sign of farmers desire to restore the crop to take advantage of increased prices and advance payment.
Average pyrethrins content has increased from 1.3% (June 2009) to 1.6% (June 2011). The number of growers has risen from 29,000 (2009/10) to 40,000 (2010/11). Pyrethrum farmers are categorized into individual farmers, members of cooperative societies, self-help groups and casual growers.
During its peak period, pyrethrum was the main economic activity for over 200,000 growers with over 2 million people benefiting from the industry through direct or indirect linkages with PBK. At the moment, farmers income from pyrethrum is sufficient to cater for 3 children in primary school and one child in high school per year.
Kenya pyrethrum is more or less organically grown since farmers hardly apply fertilizers and pesticides.
It is manually weeded and picked by experienced pickers and sun dried.
Once in production, harvesting takes place every two weeks for nine consecutive months when cut back of the foliage is recommended for renewal.
The Board collects the dry flowers from collection centres and societies for transport to the factory at the Board Headquarters for laboratory assay and processing.
The price per kg paid to farmers is based on pyrethrins content that ranges from 0.8 to 3% for the current varieties.
The production projection is to achieve the optimum yield of 8,000 metric tons of dry flowers by 2014 at an average pyrethrins content of 2%, which is enough to meet current market requirements.
The recovery process started with the restructuring process that produced a revival plan.
Implementation of the revival road map addresses production, marketing, technological, institutional and funding challenges.
There has been a declining trend in flower deliveries to the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya (PBK) since the beginning of the 21st century, recording the lowest production of 462 metric tons in the 2009/10 pool year.
The flower deliveries adversely affected supplies of pyrethrum extracts to all the Boards market segments.
Kenya has become an unreliable supplier of the pyrethrum extracts with concerns of losing customers to synthetic pyrethroids.
The dwindling income has greatly reduced crop research activities.
The Board has identified technologies on weed management, pest and disease management, drying, and variety development to target for improvement.
The Pyrethrum Board of Kenya has been reorganized into a new organizational structure backed with new systems and procedures intended to improve governance and management of resources.
Funding implementation of the revival plan has been very erratic.
The Government financed the restructuring process, but has not provided funds for the recovery process for the last two years.
After a 9-year tumultuous period, there are good prospects on the road to recovery.
The area under the crop has increased from 4,000 ha (2009/10) to 8,000 ha (2010/11). There is increased demand for planting material as a sign of farmers desire to restore the crop to take advantage of increased prices and advance payment.
Average pyrethrins content has increased from 1.3% (June 2009) to 1.6% (June 2011). The number of growers has risen from 29,000 (2009/10) to 40,000 (2010/11). Pyrethrum farmers are categorized into individual farmers, members of cooperative societies, self-help groups and casual growers.
During its peak period, pyrethrum was the main economic activity for over 200,000 growers with over 2 million people benefiting from the industry through direct or indirect linkages with PBK. At the moment, farmers income from pyrethrum is sufficient to cater for 3 children in primary school and one child in high school per year.
Kenya pyrethrum is more or less organically grown since farmers hardly apply fertilizers and pesticides.
It is manually weeded and picked by experienced pickers and sun dried.
Once in production, harvesting takes place every two weeks for nine consecutive months when cut back of the foliage is recommended for renewal.
The Board collects the dry flowers from collection centres and societies for transport to the factory at the Board Headquarters for laboratory assay and processing.
The price per kg paid to farmers is based on pyrethrins content that ranges from 0.8 to 3% for the current varieties.
The production projection is to achieve the optimum yield of 8,000 metric tons of dry flowers by 2014 at an average pyrethrins content of 2%, which is enough to meet current market requirements.
Authors
I.J.W. Mulagoli
Keywords
pyrethrum, PBK, industry revival plan
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