Middlemen reap from maize harvest

Brokers usually buy the maize in small quantities and keep it until it is enough for the traders to transport to major towns, where a 90- kilogramme bag of maize fetches a minimum of Sh3,000.

Maize traders are flocking to various parts of western Kenya where farmers have harvested the grain as they race to cash in on high prices that the government is offering.

The minimum price is Sh3,000 per bag. Maize from the North Rift, considered the country’s grain basket, is not ready for harvesting while most of the crop in the South Rift that also harvests early, was affected by the Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND).

Some middlemen have hired locals to buy maize in western Kenya on their behalf after they were stopped from acquiring the produce from the region amid claims that some of the farmers were selling all their harvests at low prices.

Brokers usually buy the maize in small quantities and keep it until it is enough for the traders to transport to major towns, where a 90- kilogramme bag of maize fetches a minimum of Sh3,000.

Farmers are in a rush to sell some of their produce to raise money for inputs in time for the second planting season that started in August.

This season that is usually for fast-maturing crops runs from August to December.

A spot check revealed that the cost of maize had dropped in the region and was expected to fall further as more cereals are brought to the markets.

Some of the farmers interviewed said besides the rush to clear their farms for the second planting season, they had no choice because they needed money to buy other essential commodities.

“We have the food but we need kerosene and cooking oil in particular and the only source of cash is maize.

I could have wished to sell more than this but there is no buyer willing to give me more money,” said Ms Jenniffer Aluoch from Bumutiru in Butula District.

Most of the buyers are from Eldoret, Kisumu and Nairobi where they have a ready market especially with milling companies, who have not accumulated enough stock.

But millers said the grain from western region was too little to significantly bring down prices.

Western PDA John Cheruiyot said many farmers planted as late as April instead of March due to delayed rains and asked the farmers to consider planting fast maturing crops saying would help to enrich their soils rather than planting maize immediately after harvesting the current crop.

“Most farmers from this region plant maize in twice a year and this has left their fields susceptible to loss of nutrients appropriate for quality yields. We are encouraging them to practice crop rotation to save the soils from losing fertility,” said Mr Cheruiyot.

He also appealed to the farmers to ensure they had enough stock for their families before selling the surplus.