Farmers in Nyamira have a reason to smile after the county government launched a program that will see the farmers in various sub counties advised on how to fight a lethal maize disease.
Speaking on Tuesday in Nyamira during the launch, Nyamira Agricultural Officer Mr Julius Nyabera said most farmers were ignorant of the disease fueled by delayed and poorly distributed rains that were experienced during the previous planting season.
The officer said that bad weather weakened the crop as farmers could not plant in time and ended up losing the nitrogen in the soil to the short spaced rains that were experienced.
He added that the county government will ensure that every farmer has information on what causes the lethal diseases and how to prevent it.
“Breaking the planting cycle, by planting alternative crops and ensuring healthy crops have been recommended as measures aimed at keeping the disease at bay,” he said.
The disease that first hit the county on last season has left the farmers in the area seeking answers to the menace that has threatened to deprive them of their major source of income.
Nyabera called on farmers from the area to ensure that they get to the centers that will be set in a few days time so that they get informed on the disease and how to prevent it.