PlantVillage Introduces Parasitoids to 605 farmers in Kisii County, Kenya
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PlantVillage has scaled up the fight against fall armyworms by establishing parasitoids-rearing labaratories in Eldoret and Machakos counties in addition to the one in Busia County. The number of young experts has also increased from 13 to 23.
PlantVillage, through its lasting partnership with USAID’s Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops, has introduced parasitoids to farmers in Kisii County in western Kenya.
The organization’s parasitoids-rearing experts trained 605 farmers on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in four different locations in South Mugirango Sub-County on the benefits and conservation of parasitoids as a biological control against fall armyworms.
The farmers, comprised of a majority of women and young people, turned up in large numbers to witness and learn about the new technology that could be the ultimate solution to the pest that has proved a menace in their history of maize farming.
"We have observed that the turnout of female farmers was great, meaning women in this region embrace farming and are ready to learn," observed Cynthia Mukhwana from the lab in Machakos.
This is the first time the parasitoids lab team has set foot in Kisii County.
"I have learned a lot about parasitoids. I am a maize farmer, and I have been recording losses. I am happy that parasitoids will be very helpful to us as women farmers," said Gladys Moraa, a passionate maize farmer from Moniangu Village in Etago Sub-Location.
PlantVillage has now trained a total of 1,652 farmers, of whom 994 benefit from the 31.4 million parasitoids released on their farms