Maize farmers get Sh100 more
What you need to know:
- More complaints are likely since farmers wanted Sh3,200 instead of the Sh2,300 offered per bag.
- Felix Koskei said that farmers needed to appreciate that they had received fertilisers reduced by Sh500 a bag.
The price of a bag of maize was increased by Sh100 following farmers’ protests that this year’s price was too little.
The price was increased to Sh2,300 up from the Sh2,200 announced on Wednesday. (READ: Board to buy maize at Sh2,200)
However this is likely to spur more protests from farmers who wanted the price increased from last year’s minimum price of Sh3,000 to Sh3,200 to protect them from low prices offered by millers and middlemen.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei said the government would buy a 90kg bag of maize delivered at the National Cereals and Produce Board at Sh2,300.
“This is in order to cushion farmers from expenses like transport, handling and drying that we had not factored in the price,” the Cabinet Secretary said on Thursday during a press conference in Nairobi.
He said that farmers needed to appreciate that they had received fertilisers reduced by Sh500 a bag.
The government had also to consider the prices offered within the East African Community to stabilise trade in the regional grouping.
INCREASE IN PRODUCTION
Mr Koskei said there was an increase in production of about 15 per cent this year due to subsidised farm inputs that the government made available to the farmers.
The government has also announced a drop in fertiliser prices for the next planting season to improve farmers’ profits and production.
The minister said that Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) used during planting would retail at Sh1,800, down from Sh2,000 that farmers spent on the plant food last year.
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) and Urea, which are top dressing fertilisers, will be sold for Sh1,500 a bag.
He said the first consignment of planting fertilisers was expected at the Port of Mombasa in January for distribution to farmers ahead of the planting season while the top dressing fertilisers would arrive in February.
The government plans to import a 100,000 tonnes this year at Sh4 billion compared to 152,000 tonnes used last year.
The private sector would bridge the gap to ensure there is adequate fertiliser for all the farmers.
