Maize price increase ruled out

• Amount which farmers want is not sustainable, says minister

Last week, the then acting Finance minister John Michuki accused farmers in the North Rift of hoarding maize as Kenyans starved.

But Mr Busienei said farmers had been selling their grain at their own volition.

He accused the Government of being insensitive to their plight and wondered if it was wise to continue farming.

“Businessmen and oil dealers took advantage of the post-election violence last year to exploit us on farm inputs but we soldiered on and cultivated the grain but the Government is now favouring an international farmer,” Mr Kibor said.

Farm inputs

A director of the ailing Kenya Farmers Association (KFA), Mr Kipkorir Menjo, said the only way of sourcing affordable farm inputs was through reviving the institution.

“KFA, like Kenya Cooperative Creameries, is for stabilising the prices of farm inputs, and we are wondering why the State has not done so as it pledged in its campaigns in the 2002 and 2007 general elections,” Mr Menjo said.

In Kuria West and Kuria East districts, maize farmers are withholding their grain to press for better payment from the Government.

They vowed not to deliver the cereal to the NCPB unless they were paid at least Sh2,500 a 90-kg bag.

“Instead of the Government using a lot of money to import the grain, why can’t they buy our produce first?” asked Mr Joseph Chacha from Ntimaru.

A spot check at Migori and Ntimaru NCPB depots showed they were not receiving maize from the farmers.

Although the subsidised maize flour has arrived in Migori District, the residents say the supplies will not sustain them for long.

Reported by John Shilitsa, Peter Ng’etich and Elisha Otieno