He is chairman of Mûtitû Andei Cotton Farmers Cooperative and a member of the Societies for the Biotechnology Farming in Kenya

Ndavi said despite receiving the seeds late and the rains being inadequate, the Bt cotton performed better than the conventional variety they were used to.

“I saw a very big difference with this new variety because  it’s fast growing, high yielding and is not getting infected by pests, as compared with the conventional cotton,” Ndavi said.

Veteran cotton farmer Milton Katia in Mavindini, Kathonzweni subcounty in Makueni, said the new Bt cotton has many branches. That means for every plant a farmer can harvest as many as 100 balls. In the past, they only harvested 30 balls at most, he said.

“We are grateful for Bt cotton because the previous  variety had been used for 30 years and was exhausted,” he said. In his first planting of Bt cotton, he harvested 1,050 bags.

Katia praised the government for setting a standard price rate of cotton, ensuring farmers can sell at the farm gate.

“We sell at the farm gate for Sh52 and we are paid instantly,” he said.

He said the county should employ more agricultural extension officers to train farmers on the right techniques for growing Bt cotton.

In the past, farmers had extension officers in each location and a district extension officer in each district.

“These days there are not enough extension officers who can reach out to farmers and we have been left on our own, Katia said.

Margaret Karembu is a director of the International Service for Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).

She said Kenya is among seven African countries growing Bt cotton, including Ethiopia, Sudan, Swaziland, Nigeria, South Africa and Malawi.