Pay us more for maize, farmers appeal to Koskei

The Sh2,200 that the government plans to pay for a 90kg bag of maize does not make economic sense, farmers in Trans Nzoia have said.

The maize growers want the price increased to Sh3,000 per bag to cover for the increased cost of labour and farm inputs (especially for those who did not benefit from the government’s subsidized fertiliser).

“The cost of production is going up annually. This year’s price must be higher than last year’s,” William Kimosong, Kenya National Farmers Federation chairman in Trans Nzoia, said.

Farmers, he said, would not get any profit from the price offered by the government, which her termed as “ a slight improvement” on what middlemen are offering.

The traders are offering between Sh1,500 and Sh1,700 per bag.

On Wednesday, Agriculture Cabinet secretary Felix Koskei said on top of the Sh2,200, the farmers would get an extra Sh500 for every bag as compensation for losses suffered as a result of diseases and delayed rains.

OVERPRODUCTION

He attributed the drop in prices to over-production of the grain as well as massive imports from the region.

“We considered the costs of production and that fact that the country is in competition with other countries in the region,” he said.

At the same time, maize farmers have expressed fears of undue competition for market at the cereals board from middlemen who have been buying the grains at throw away prices.

They called on the government to intervene and reserve the market for them.

“We should have a committee comprising farmers and agricultural officials to differentiate genuine farmers from middlemen,” said Job Talam, a large scale farmer in Kwanza.

West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin accused the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) of failing to carry out its mandate under the national government.

“Let NCPB be devolved since it cannot tackle the unique demands of the 47 counties as it stands currently. It has totally failed in its duties,” he said in Kwanza.

Trans Nzoia Senator Henrey Ole Ndiema urged the national government to allow counties to buy farmers’ produce to protect them from losses in the future.

Speaking during a fund-raiser at St Immaculate Catholic Church in Kitale, Mr Ndiema said county governments are better positioned to handle issues affecting farmers than the national government.

Farmers have already started taking their maize to the board after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed it to open its doors.

In Uasin Gishu, long queues of lorries could be seen at the board’s depots, with many hoping that the President’s directive will be implemented without further delay.

However, by Thursday evening, the board had not started buying the grains.

“We have been here since Tuesday morning. Immediately we heard the president’s directive, we never wasted time. We rushed our produce to NCPB,” Amon Kipchumba, a farmer, told the Nation at Eldoret NCPB  depot.

The board has depots and maize buying centres in Turbo, Mois-Bridge, Kipkaren, Ziwa in Uasin Gishu and Kitale in Trans Nzoia County.

Hundreds of farmers in Uasin Gishu on Wednesday demonstrated, asking the government to buy maize at Sh3,500 per bag.