NCPB buys Sh887m maize as rivalry with millers pushes price up

The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has purchased maize worth Sh887 million as rivalry with millers pushes the price of the produce high to the benefit of farmers.

The NCPB has bought 386,266 bags of maize offering Sh2,300 per bag while millers anticipating a shortage after massive post-harvest losses, are offering Sh2,600.

“We have so far bought 378,420 bags valued at about Sh870 million in the North Rift region,” said Rose Adanje, NCPB’s corporate affairs manager.

In Western Kenya the board has purchased 7,846 bags of maize at Sh18 million as farmers rush to sell the cereals to avoid losses caused by resurgence of El Niño rains pounding various parts of the country.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett has warned of post-harvest losses by farmers amounting to a million bags of maize due lack of drying facilities during the El Niño rains.

Mr Bett said the losses were likely to compromise the country’s food security adding that the government has waived the drying charges on maize and subsidised the cost of farm inputs.

The measures come as county governments in the North Rift region push for value addition to maize produce to cushion cereal farmers from losses caused by declined productivity and flooding of markets by cheap imported produce.

Governors from the region have formed North Rift Economic Bloc to mobilise resources to construct maize a milling plant as part of measures to cut down on high cost of production.

The national government has also launched construction of a fertiliser plant in Eldoret.

Trans-Nzoia has partnered with Industrial Commercial and Development Corporation to construct Sh800 million milling plant to add value to maize and offer ready market to farmers.

“Feasibility study has been carried out for implementation of the project that is expected to kick off next year,” Governor Patrick Khaemba said.