Long queue as farmers deliver maize to Eldoret depot

Maize farmers in the North Rift region want the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to hasten the process of receiving their produce to cushion them from expenses incurred while on the queue.

There was a long line of lorries and tractors loaded with sacks of grains at the NCPB’s Eldoret depot as farmers began to deliver their produce Wednesday.

Noah Tum, a farmer from Ilula in Uasin-Gishu County, noted that he spends Sh1,300 a day for the driver and the turnboy.

“We ask those receiving the products to be fast. This will save us the agony of having to sleep in trucks every day …. We pay our driver Sh800 and his turnboy Sh500 per day,” he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture recently directed farmers to register in their respective counties before delivering produce.

This was one of stringent measures introduced to block brokers from selling cereals to the board.

The board is buying a 90kg bag of maize at Sh3,000 up from Sh2,300 after Deputy President William Ruto announced the new prices last month.

In October, farmers demonstrated in Eldoret demanding higher pay for their maize due to the high cost of farm production.

Mr Ruto said the government would use Sh6 billion to purchase grains from farmers.