Posted on August, 22, 2018 at 09:46 am
The government on Monday began registering more than 2.5 million maize farmers countrywide.
In April, Deputy President William directed the Agriculture and ICT ministries to list farmers to lock out cartels and brokers.
Farmers are demanding their dues from the National Cereals and Produce Board, which has been hit by a Sh1.9 billion scandal.
Maize growers can pick registration forms from NCPB depots. They are to state all their deliveries and the depots.
“Each claim form must be duly certified by the claimant's chief and county-subcounty agriculture officer,” reads part of the statement.
Farmers are also to report to the nearest NCPB depot with their original documents and three copies of their national ID cards, PIN certificate, passport photos (authorised by their chiefs).
Other documents include weighbridge tickets, original delivery note and confirmation of any payments made.
Companies are expected to present copies of the certificate of incorporation, tax compliance certificate, PIN certificate and CR 12 Form.
On March 7, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri admitted mistakes were made in the collection of maize from farmers following the closure of depots in the North Rift because they were full. Farmers were turned away with their maize.
“We made a mistake ... when we realised we were getting more maize than ever before, we should have started moving it ... we should have started moving it early enough," he told a press briefing in Eldoret.
Kiunjuri said the government had bought 3.2 million bags of maize from farmers at a cost of Sh10.2 billion. A bag of 90kg maize was going for Sh3,200.
He said delayed payments was a result of the government overshooting Sh7.1 billion allocated for the purchase of maize. The CS said he asked Parliament to approve a supplementary budget of Sh3 billion to pay maize growers.
Farmers in the Rift Valley held a meeting after the state failed to allocate cash in the budget to the NCPB for paying farmers. They threatened to hold demonstrations if they don't receive their cash this financial year.
Source: The Star