Farmers growing cowpeas and green grams in Kitui County are on the verge of suffering huge loss after aphids infested their farms.
In an interview with Mauvoo News, a section of farmers said that the infestation has greatly affected the growth of the crops and this may lead to very low yields.
“The insects invaded our crops a few weeks after planting. They started in low numbers but as days go by, they are increasing. We are worried that we may harvest very little or even nothing”, one farmer lamented.
Some disclosed that they have tried spraying the aphids, but the insecticides used are not killing them.
“I sprayed the crops three days ago but the insects are not dying. I don’t know why but seems I did not use the best quality of insecticide, which is being sold at a high cost and as a small-scale farmer, I can’t afford it. Rain also kills them but if it doesn’t rain within the next one week, my crops will die”, he added.
The farmers called upon the County Government to provide them with the best insecticides.
Cowpeas popularly known as Kunde and green grams are among the most grown crops in Kitui. This is because the crops require low amounts of rainfall and hence perform well in semi-arid regions.
