The maize, which NCPB says is at risk of aflatoxin contamination if purchased and stored in their deports, was affected by heavy rains that pounded the country towards the end of last year in major grain zones.
NCPB acting managing director Cornel Ngelechey said the Eldoret depot alone rejected 30 per cent of deliveries last season compared to 20 per cent in the previous season.
Poor handling of maize has subjected farmers to losses with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) rejecting deliveries for failure to comply with standards.
The maize, which NCPB says is at risk of aflatoxin contamination if purchased and stored in their deports, was affected by heavy rains that pounded the country towards the end of last year in major grain zones.
NCPB acting managing director Cornel Ngelechey said the Eldoret depot alone rejected 30 per cent of deliveries last season compared to 20 per cent in the previous season.
“The rains coincided with the harvesting season and a good number of farmers were forced to store their grains while wet, hence affecting the quality,” said Mr Ngelechey.
The board only accepts grain with a moisture content of up to 13.5 per cent but farmers have been delivering produce with moisture content as high as 19 per cent, according to NCPB.
The required percentage for rotten grain should be less than one percent for grade one and four per cent for grade two.
The board offers storage services through its warehouse receipting system (WRS) where farmers can store their crop at Sh60 per bag in the first month and Sh15 in subsequent months for a period of six months.
Middlemen are expected to be the main beneficiaries of the rejected grain. They pay farmers prices lower than the Sh3,000 per 90-kilogramme bag offered by NCPB.
Last year the government gave the grain handler Sh3 billion to buy maize for the strategic grain reserve. In Kitale and Eldoret, brokers are offering farmers between Sh2,000 and Sh2,300 per bag.
Farmers who wish to offer rejected maize to NCPB have to meet extra expenses by hiring people to remove rotten maize and dry the grain further.
“We have space which we can give farmers to carry out the isolating exercise in order to meet the required standard,” said Mr Ngelechey. Kenya Farmers Association has asked the government to expedite repairs on a dryer that broke down in Eldoret depot last year, saying it had led to the increase in rejected maize.
Moisture
“Most of the maize that is brought in has a high level of moisture. A number of farmers whose crop has been rejected would have benefited if the dryer was functional,” KFA director Kipkorir Menjo said.
In November last year Agriculture Secretary Felix Kosgei said it would take four weeks to repair the dryer, but no work has been done since. Mr Kosgei could not be reached for comment.
Mr Ngelechey, however, said repair of the dryer had delayed because the maintenance firm had not been paid its dues. However, he said, the debt had been settled and the dryer would be ready for use in the next 14 days.
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