{"id":140378,"date":"2026-05-09T07:02:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T07:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/demand-for-lamu-white-gold-sparks-scramble-for-bt-cotton-seeds\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T07:02:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T07:02:47","slug":"demand-for-lamu-white-gold-sparks-scramble-for-bt-cotton-seeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/demand-for-lamu-white-gold-sparks-scramble-for-bt-cotton-seeds\/","title":{"rendered":"Demand for Lamu \u2018White Gold\u2019 sparks scramble for BT Cotton Seeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

The government and private investors have moved to avert a seed shortage as cotton farming records a renewed boom in Lamu County.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Farmers in Lamu are scrambling for BT cotton seeds following a surge in demand for the region\u2019s \u201cwhite gold,\u201d with available supplies running out barely weeks into the planting season.<\/p>\n

The rush has prompted the government and private textile investors to step in with fresh interventions aimed at preventing a major seed shortage that could derail the county\u2019s cotton revival drive.<\/p>\n

The renewed excitement was evident in Mpeketoni during the launch and distribution of BT cotton seeds, pesticides, spraying equipment and a modern cotton seed pressing machine, where hundreds of farmers turned up hoping to secure the highly sought-after farm inputs.<\/p>\n

The government, through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), distributed 3,000 kilograms of BT cotton seeds, 10,000 containers of pesticides and 16 spraying machines to farmers in a move aimed at boosting production in one of Kenya\u2019s leading cotton-growing regions.<\/p>\n

Despite the intervention, farmers said the demand for BT seeds remains far higher than the current supply, attributing the growing interest to increased cotton prices and improved yields associated with the variety.<\/p>\n

Many farmers described cotton farming as a rapidly transforming economic activity capable of uplifting thousands of households in the coastal region if supported consistently with inputs, markets and processing industries.<\/p>\n

Speaking during the exercise, AFA Chairman Cornelly Serem assured farmers that the government, in collaboration with county governments and private sector partners, was working around the clock to guarantee continuous access to quality BT cotton seeds and pesticides.<\/p>\n

He said reviving the cotton sector remains a key pillar in strengthening Kenya\u2019s textile and manufacturing industries while improving farmers\u2019 incomes under the Buy Kenya Build Kenya initiative.<\/p>\n

Thika Cloth Mills Chief Executive Officer Tejal Dhodhia said the textile firm had intensified its support for cotton farmers in Lamu and other parts of the country through strategic partnerships with both the national and county governments.<\/p>\n

She revealed that the company last month procured and distributed six tonnes of BT cotton seeds worth Ksh21 million to farmers in Mpeketoni to cushion growers against shortages and accelerate cotton production.<\/p>\n

Dhodhia praised President William Ruto for prioritizing cotton farming and local textile manufacturing, saying the Kenya Kwanza administration had become the first government since independence to directly purchase cotton seeds, pesticides and other farm inputs for farmers.<\/p>\n

She noted that collaboration between the government, textile industries and stakeholders in the cotton value chain had restored order and renewed investor confidence in the sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe President has demonstrated great commitment to cotton farmers by supporting the purchase of BT seeds, pesticides and other inputs and also directing an increase in cotton prices from Ksh52 to Ksh72 per kilogram,\u201d said Dhodhia, adding that the reforms had rekindled hope among thousands of farmers across cotton-growing regions.<\/p>\n

Lamu Deputy Governor Mbarak Mohammed said the county government had already set aside Ksh7.5 million for the purchase of additional BT cotton seeds, with plans underway to increase the allocation to Ksh12 million in the next financial year. He said the county administration was determined to position Lamu as a leading cotton production hub in the country.<\/p>\n

Lamu County currently has more than 10,000 farmers actively engaged in cotton farming, with the sector witnessing renewed optimism amid increased government support, private sector investment and growing demand for locally produced cotton and textile products.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The post Demand for Lamu \u2018White Gold\u2019 sparks scramble for BT Cotton Seeds<\/a> appeared first on KBC Digital<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The government and private investors have moved to avert a seed shortage as cotton farming records a renewed boom in Lamu County. Farmers in Lamu are scrambling for BT cotton seeds following a surge in demand for the region\u2019s \u201cwhite gold,\u201d with available supplies running out barely weeks into the planting season. The rush has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140378\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}