Rains delay opening of cereals board stores doors, says Bett

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett (centre), Finance Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich (right) and the University of Eldoret Vice Chancellor, Prof Teresa Akenga, tour an exhibition stand during this year’s University of Eldoret Agri-Business Trade fair over the weekend. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NMG

What you need to know:

  • Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said the rains currently pounding the region have pushed the opening to early October.
  • The CS urged farmers to insure their crops and livestock to cushion them against effects of climate change as well as pests and diseases.

Grain farmers in the North Rift will have to wait a little longer before the National Cereals and Produce Board opens its doors for purchase of their produce.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said the rains currently pounding the region have pushed the opening to early October.

“We have enough provision by the government to buy the farmers’ crop this season. We are preparing ourselves and we think by the end of this month or in the beginning of next month, we open its doors.

“Currently, we are experiencing heavy rains and we think this is not the right time for farmers to harvest,” said Mr Bett.

He said the ministry, through the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR), is holding a series of talks with farmers, in a move aimed at offering better prices to cushion them against recent drought and emerging pests.

“We want to assure that we are taking into account the challenges that farmers have gone through this season so that we can fix a price that will be beneficial and will take account of these challenges,” said the CS in Eldoret on Friday.

Last season, the national government bought a 90 kilogramme bag of maize at Sh3,000 up from Sh2,300.

During this year’s Agricultural show in Nyeri, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the national government had allocated Sh5.5 billion towards the purchase of the maize though the SFR.

This, he said, would increase the current stocks of three million bags to four million bags to stabilise supply and prices.

Farmers in the country’s food basket are set to begin harvesting their crop from this month, while those in the South Rift started late last month.

The CS urged farmers to insure their crops and livestock to cushion them against effects of climate change as well as pests and diseases.