14,000 farmers to be paid for failed crop

Close to 14,000 farmers from lower and upper eastern counties will receive compensation following a failed season that affected their crop.

A January food report from the Ministry of Agriculture indicates that the farmers will be compensated on account of failed 2020 short rains that subjected the growers to losses of their maize and green grammes in the region.

“About 14,000 farmers will be compensated due to poor performance of the crops in these regions occasioned by poor rains,” reads the report from the ministry.

The depressed rainfall affected grain development at a critical stage leading to a decline in production during the season.

"This is especially during the grain filling stage where the crop needs enough water,” added the report without giving the exact amount of the payout.

The production was also impacted by the presence of dessert locusts that damaged 350 hectares of maize and pearl millet in Tharaka Nithi, 1,000 hectares of millet, cow peas, green grammes and maize in Kitui South.

However, growers will not be compensated on the crops that were damaged by the dessert locusts as they had only insured their crop against failed rains.