Posted on October, 17, 2017 at 11:20 am
North Rift farmers want the government to increase maize prices from Sh3,200 per 90kg bag, announced last week, to Sh4,000.
The National Cereals and Produce Board is to open its depots this week to start buying farmers’ maize. This follows a directive by Agriculture CS Willy Bett.
Farmers backed by their governors have complained the price is too low.
“We appreciate the government’s move to raise the prices. But considering what farmers have gone through, they can only earn some profits at prices not less than Sh4,000 a bag,” Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said.
He spoke on Sunday during a Jubilee rally.
Mandago, who is also the chairman of the North Rift Economic Bloc, said they wanted to speak to Bett to discuss the prices and explain the problems.
“Farmers face a lot of challenges ranging from armyworm invasion to drought, which raise the cost of production.
“Looking at the whole situation, the price set by the government is very low,” he said.
Trans Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba agreed.
Speaking at a separate event, he said maize farming would decline because of problems, which increase production costs.
Khaemba called for swift intervention.
“The only way to ensure our farmers go back to the farms to produce more is to pay them better prices for their produce,” he said.
Director of the Kenya Farmers’ Association Kipkorir Menjo and farmers’ representative Joel Bulut yesterday said they fully support governors’ call to have maize prices increased.
Two weeks ago, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the government would buy all the maize from farmers.
He added that Sh6 billion had been set aside for the purchase.
Agriculture officials say maize production in the Rift Valley is expected to drop by more than six million bags because of drought and armyworm invasion.
Countrywide, farmers are expected to harvest more than 43 million bags, but agriculture officials say the harvest will be less than 36 million bags.
Production will drop in Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia and Nandi — Kenya’s grain basket.
Uasin Gishu Agriculture executive Cyril Cheruiyot said last Wednesday that more than 1.4 million bags of maize were destroyed by the armyworm.
“The rains were not reliable in most areas and farmers have already indicated they have made heavy losses as they begin to harvest,” he said.
Mandago says the government should consider compensating farmers for the losses.
He said this can be achieved through better prices.
Source: The Star