Posted on July, 26, 2018 at 11:10 am
By MATHEWS NDANYI
The National Cereals and Produce Board is moving maize stocks from its key depots to food deficit areas.
The stock which was mainly imported, left many farmers stranded with last year’s harvest and opened the lid on the Sh1.9 billion maize scandal which led to the sacking of several officers at the state owned cereals dealer.
The scam saw eight traders paid millions of shillings while more than3,500 genuine small scale farmers were left out.
Lorries are currently ferrying maize from silos in Eldoret, Moi’s Bridge, Nakuru, Kipkaren, Bungoma, Kisumu and Mosoriot.
The maize is being moved to Lodwar, Eastern region, Garrissa and parts of Coast which according to NCPB have adequate space.
“It is true we are relocating the maize to create some space as we head to the harvesting season,” said an official at the Eldoret depot.
This comes as farmers expressed concern that the board may not be able to buy fresh stock just three months before farmers in most parts of Rift Valley begin harvesting.
“We fear that the board may not even have resources to buy extra maize from farmers because it has not been allocated funding by Treasury,” Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo said.
He said farmers are still owed close to Sh5 billion from last year’s deliveries.
“Many farmers regret venturing into the maize growing business. It has become a loss and frustrating to them,” Menjo said.
Moiben MP Sila Tiren and his Nandi Hills counterpart Alfred Keter plan to meet maize farmers to discuss challenges affecting them.
“It’s embarrassing that farmers who toil hard on their farms have to wait for so long to be paid yet other individuals steal from the government every day,”Tiren said.
He said Treasury should pay farmers even as the maize scam probe goes on.
Kenya National Farmers Union chairman Musa Barno said the MPs need to seek extra budgetary allocation for NCPB and the entire agricultural sector.
Source: The Star