Farmer in Kisii have been told to continue cultivating traditional crops even as they embrace technologically produced food plants.
Governor James Ongwae said traditional crops have a unique natural taste that food plants produced in laboratories do not have.
The Governor said traditional crops especially bananas are more nutritious compared to the tissue cultured breeds which, many farmers in the county have embraced.
"As much as you would like to embrace the scientifically modified crops such as the tissue cultured bananas, I am reminding you to be cautious and ensure you do not lose the local banana species," Ongwae said. "Traditional banana crops are highly appreciated and liked not only in Kisii but also outside here."
He was speaking at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre, during the County's Annual Agriculture and Farmers' Field Day on Wednesday.
Kisii is among the counties in the country that have broadly embraced banana cultivation.
The country's most populous counties including Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa import the product from one of Kisii which is ranked among the counties with the highest population density in the country.
The county has of recent embraced the cultivation of scientifically produced banana tissues whose growing is still contested with the argument that their genetic composition is harmful to human health.
Despite its success in the cultivation of bananas however, the county is facing stiff competition from Uganda which is ranked among top exporters of the crop in the world after Costa Rica, Equador, Philippines and Colombia.