Kisumu County Agriculture Director Mary Obade has asked cotton farmers to revive cotton cooperative groups and embrace organic cotton variety.
Speaking in Nyando yesterday, Obade urged farmers to grow cotton in large numbers and be processed in the ginneries within Kisumu.
"The county government wants the cotton grown here, do value chain and sell the end products to other surrounding counties," said Obade.
She added: "We need to revive or start cotton cooperative groups. This way farmers can get services and fertilisers easily."
Speaking in the same event Fiber Directorate Marketing officer Fanuel Lubanga urged cooperatives to partner with private investors for ginners to gain markets for cotton. He said that organic cotton has a ready market in the UK and USA.
Lubanga said that although cotton has challenges like low productivity and use of uncertified seeds, there is hope in the cotton industry.
"Certified cotton seeds have been a problem but the Kenya Seed Company has taken the basic seed from Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and it will be rolled out in Bura," said Lubanga.
He said that AFA is collaborating with the national government under the National Cereals Board so that farmers in Kisumu can access subsidised fertilisers.