MPs seek help for maize farmers

The government was Tuesday asked to bail out farmers whose maize crop has been wiped out by disease.

MPs Joseph Kiuna (Njoro), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Nelson Gaichuhie (Subukia) and John Kihagi (Naivasha) said their constituents risked starvation if the government did not intervene promptly.

“Most of the people are small-scale farmers who depend on their crops for food and money. They will suffer if nothing is done to cushion,” said Mr Kiuna.

The MPs said the farmers had been hard hit by Maize Lethal Necrosis disease (MLND) and appealed to the government to provide the growers with fertiliser and alternative seed like cassava, potatoes and cabbages.

Mr Kiuna said about half of his constituents had been affected as the disease had spread in three Njoro locations.

“Most people here grow maize because it is the staple food and has a ready market. They lost everything after the disease hit and we are urging the government to give them alternative seed crops to plant.”

The Njoro MP also appealed to the government to give the affected families relief food.

STOP SELLING GREEN CEREAL

Maize farmers in the county will lose cereals worth more than Sh800 million this season to MLND.

A report from the county agriculture office shows that at least 10,000 hectares of maize were affected by the disease, with Subukia and Naivasha sub-counties the worst hit.

Mr Ngunjiri said 75 per cent of people in Bahati had been affected and appealed to farmers who had been spared to stop selling green maize.

“We are depleting our reserves by harvesting the little crop that was not affected and selling green maize,” the MP lamented.

Mr Gaichuhie said the government should provide alternative seed to the farmers for planting and assure them of a ready market.

“Maize has a ready market and farmers will only plant alternative crops if they are assured they can sell the produce,” he said and urged the Ministry of Agriculture to advise whether the infected maize crop can be used as livestock feed.