Farmers say maize imports won’t end food crisis

Farmers have dismissed the importation of maize to stabilise the rising prices of flour as a scheme to flood the local market with cheap produce.

The farmers instead asked the government to implement agricultural policies that will motivate them to increase crop production to end the recurrent food crisis.

“Dependence on maize imports to curb the current food shortage is a clear indicator that the government is not concerned about the welfare of farmers,” said Mr Andrew Rotich, the chairman of the Trans Nzoia Maize and Livestock Association.

The farmers attributed the maize shortage to decreased acreage under cultivation of the crop, owing to increased cost of farm inputs and unstable market for the produce.

READ: Govt failed to import maize in time despite warning

“Apart from erratic rainfall, disease outbreak and other factors such as substandard farm inputs, augmented production costs have discouraged most farmers from investing in cereals farming which has contributed to the current maize shortage,” said Mr Jackson Kosgey, a farmer from Moiben, Uasin Gishu County.

FOOD BASKET

Maize production in Rift Valley, the country’s food basket, reduced from 21 million bags to 16 million bags last season due to various factors ranging from erratic rainfall to disease outbreak.

“We are now rallying farmers to give serious thought to diversification because we have seen alternative crops like beans and bananas fetch higher prices than maize yet they have a lower cost of production,” said Mr Kosgey.

Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (Kenfap) Uasin Gishu chairman Musa Barno said what farmers needed is “sufficient capital to enable them to invest in modern crop production and not to sell our maize produce on credit due to unreliable market”.

READ: Minister, PS hard-pressed to explain flour pricing

Some consumers in the North Rift have resorted to buying alternative food such as sweet potatoes and millet from neighbouring countries due to maize shortage.

“We are seeing an influx of sweet potatoes and millet from Uganda to Kenya which signals that locals are now relying more on alternative feeds,” said Mr Dan Sapiri, a Trans Nzoia county government liaison officer at Endebess.

RELIABLE MARKET

Trans Nzoia deputy governor Stanley Tarus said the solution to the farmers’ problems lay in diversification and finding a reliable market for their produce.

READ: Maize stock reserves enough for half day

“Diversification and sourcing of market for our produce is the only guaranteed way to ensure farmers profit from their agricultural activities,” Mr Tarus told Nation in Kitale.

A spot check by Nation in most retail markets in the region revealed deteriorating supply of alternative produce such as sorghum and millet due to rising cost of maize flour.

A 90kg bag of maize in the region is currently selling at Sh5,200 while a 90kg bag of sorghum is going at Sh7,000, up from Sh6,200.

LATE PLANTING

Meanwhile, a bag of finger millet costs Sh6,700, up from Sh5,900 while beans is going for Sh10,200, up from Sh8,800.

The Ministry of Agriculture has disclosed that maize harvest in the North Rift will delay for a month due to late planting.

“There were delays in the onset of long rains which delayed the planting by a month” said Johnson Irungu, the Director of crops.

Some maize farmers were compelled to uproot the crop and replant afresh due to uneven germination caused by erratic rainfall.