Miraa farmers in the Igembe region, Meru County have been advised to diversify their crops to reduce their dependency on miraa, which is currently facing challenges such as market bans.
The head of agriculture department, Igembe South sub county, Jeremiah Mithika speaking to KNA emphasized the importance of integrating other crops alongside miraa to mitigate market volatility and bolster economic stability in the region.
Mithika noted that overreliance on miraa has posed significant risk to the livelihoods of the miraa farmers who solely depend on its income.
Thus, the agricultural official underscored the need to explore other high-value farming activities like apiculture, dairy and poultry farming, which have also proved to have potential sustainability due to high demands of their products.
“Dairy farming has become very profitable due to increasing demand for milk and meat, hence the practice is less prone to market fluctuations compared to miraa,” he said, adding that there was need for farmers to venture into other high value farming to safeguard the economy of the region.
Mithika further stressed the importance of incorporating crops such as mangoes, avocados, vegetables and macadamia to ensure a consistent income.
“With or without a ban on miraa markets, the demands of life need to be met, hence there call for alternative means of income generation,” he reiterated.
By Kamanja Maeria
