Africa-Press – Kenya. A looming crisis in the food sector seems to be in the offing after maize farmers from the food basket-rich region of Trans Nzoia County rejected the government’s offer of buying maize at a price of Ksh3,500 per bag.
In the announcement, which was made through the Kenya Cereals Produce Board(NCPB), the government noted that it would be buying the farmers’ maize at Ksh3,500, dashing the hopes of many farmers who had been waiting for better prices from the government.
The farmers insisted that they were willing to sell maize to the government at Ksh5,500 per 90-kilogram bag.
“The only way for a farmer to get a profit from his labour is if the government can buy from us at a price of Ksh5,500,’’ Jonathan Melly, a farmer stated.
This happens even as the farmers from the maize growing regions decry poor prices that they have been forced to sell their produce at, over what they term as cartels who have now invaded their business.
The farmers blame the lack of price control on the government’s decision of failing to open the NCPB silos across the country in term, before the harvesting season.
“The decision of the government to delay the opening of the National Cereals and Produce Board(NCPB) has contributed to the reduction in maize prices as the business is now being controlled by cartels,’’ Melly added.
This comes even as their maize is already ripe and is only awaiting harvesting, with the farmers calling upon the government to provide additional budget to support the maize buying program.
Additionally, the development came even as the government announced plans to buy at least 1 million bags from farmers across the country.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwihia Karanja last week, through a circular, reported that the plan to buy maize would enable the government to increase its strategic food reserve for Ksh3,500 per bag.
Currently, the government’s strategic food reserves stand at 30 per cent, even as it hopes that the current harvesting from the season’s long rains will enable it to surpass 42 million bags of maize.
Farmers also questioned why the government only intends to buy 1 million bags, as experts raise concerns that this year’s excess harvest might go to waste.
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