Nyandarua county pyrethrum farming revival has got a boost following the entry of a major investor into the sector.
Through Memoranda of Understanding with co-operative societies in the county, Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) will provide seedlings, fertilizer and a ready market to absorb over 100 metric tonnes of dry pyrethrum. IPS is the infrastructure and industrial development arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) an affiliate of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Established in the early 1960s, IPS was created to provide venture capital, technical assistance and management support to encourage and expand private enterprise in the developing world, particularly countries of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The deal was announced at a consultative forum in Ol’Kalou bringing together 80 leaders from Nyandarua’s co-operative movement led by the Deputy Governor Cecilia Mbuthia. She said that members in each ward will be at the forefront of the revival of pyrethrum farming ranging from farming, value addition and marketing.
The thriving sector crumbled in the country in the early 1990s, leaving thousands of Nyandarua families in deep misery where the crop was a major income earner.
Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia also recently reclaimed 860 acres of land belonging to the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya in Ol’Jororok Sub-County, which had been illegally acquired by a private developer.
