Youth urged to embrace avocado farming to boost their lives

Youth, including graduates from colleges and universities have been urged to embrace avocado farming to boost their lives.

Kisii County Agriculture Deputy Director Nicholas Manyisa said avocado farming is lucrative and challenged youth to embrace it in order to boost their incomes and standard of living.

Speaking at Kisii Agricultural Training Centre (KATC) during the training of 200 youth drawn from Kisii and Nyamira counties on avocado farming and fighting pests, Manyisa said prices of avocado are high and urged the youths to plant Hass avocado, which has high oil content and its demand is high in the global market.

On the pest control tips, Manyisa said that passiamite pest was affecting the avocado, noting, Pest Control Board was conducting research on best drugs to control it.

“We want youth doing avocado farming to use clean tools in pruning to curb the spread of the pest” Manyisa said

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The Director revealed that during the training, the youth were sensitized on the effects of the pest, control and urged them to share the knowledge with others at the grassroots.

He said that last year, the county distributed 45,000 avocado seedlings across the county and urged youth to access more at the Centre and plant to boost production.

Vincent Morara, Director, Agriculture in Nyamira County also noted that pest was reducing avocado production and implored farmers to control it through proper avocado husbandry.

“The pest was detected two years ago. It is devastating and should be controlled and curbed from causing more harm” Morara said.

Clifford Ambaa, an officer, One Acre Fund (Tupande) Programme lauded Master Card Foundation and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service ( Kephis) for partnering with Tupande support the training.

By Emmanuel Gwakoi

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