Kirinyaga Coffee Farmers Demand Action Against Toxic Agro-chemicals
Coffee farmers in Kirinyaga County are urging the government to regulate toxic agro-chemicals, citing severe health risks, environmental degradation, and declining coffee yields. Farmers report unknowingly using dangerous, often unlicensed, products due to weak regulation and rogue traders. They fear losing market access and reversing recent economic gains. Calls include intensifying inspections, prosecuting illegal traders, and providing better farmer training to safeguard public health and livelihoods.
Coffee farmers in Kenya's Kirinyaga County are sounding a critical alarm over the widespread use of toxic agro-chemicals, demanding urgent government intervention. Growers highlight serious concerns including grave health risks like cancer, skin, and respiratory diseases for applicators, environmental degradation, declining coffee yields, and market rejections due to quality and safety test failures. This crisis is attributed to weak regulation, poor enforcement by government agencies, and unscrupulous traders who exploit a lack of farmer training and reliable information by selling unapproved or counterfeit pesticides.Leaders like Alloise Muriithi of Karithathi Coffee Cooperative Society and Priscilla Muchira of the Faida Coffee Expo emphasize that farmers often unknowingly use dangerous products, impacting production and earnings. They are calling for intensified inspections, the closure of unlicensed agro-chemical outlets, and the prosecution of traders dealing in banned or fake products. The concerns are particularly pressing given rising cancer cases in Kirinyaga, partly linked to occupational exposure to farm chemicals.Despite increased production and earnings in the current season, farmers fear these gains are unsustainable unless the pesticide issue is addressed. Stakeholders, including Kenya Seed Company chairperson Wangui Ngirichi, advocate for a coordinated approach involving health, agriculture, and environmental authorities to protect both farmers and consumers. While the national government has banned several hazardous pesticides, enforcement remains a challenge, with illegal products still infiltrating the market. Farmers are urging authorities to tighten controls, expand training, and prioritize public health alongside agricultural productivity.
