Makueni Launches Campaign to Rescue Mango Farmers from Pests

Mango actors in the country have launched a rigorous campaign towards establishment of Fruit Fly Free Zones (FFFZ) in Makueni County.

The campaign, launched at Kwakathoka Wednesday, provides an opportunity for the various actors in the mango value chain to interact and kick off activities geared towards reduction of mango losses due to fruit fly infestation in Makueni County and in Kenya at large.

The campaign also aims at sensitizing and creating awareness on fruit fly control and to create pest free areas. The outcomes of this campaign is expected to stimulate mango export and increase incomes for mango farmers and other value chain actors.

The campaign is driven by the county government, USAID, Feed the Future, Rockefeller foundation, and the Kenyan national government through various agro agencies.

The partners to this campaign have unveiled a raft of measures which will ensure a successful campaign, which include:

Working with five Integrated Pest Management technology providers and two mango cooperatives to promote adoption of IPM best practices;

The campaign will also involve training of 10,000 farmers, training 100 agro dealers and setting up of a distribution system, establishment of 120 demonstration orchards as well as holding 80 field days across the county.