The government has allocated Sh700 million to buy more than 100,000 bags of rice from the expansive Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kirinyaga County.
CS Peter Munya said the Kenya National Trading Corporation would buy the rice at Sh85 per kilogramme as per the directive President Uhuru Kenyatta issued.
Farmers had expressed fears of their produce rotting at the society’s stores if the market is not found urgently.
The government has allocated Sh700 million to buy more than 100,000 bags of rice from the expansive Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kirinyaga County.
The rice has been lying in stores for months due to lack of a market.
According to Agriculture Cabinet secretary Peter Munya, already Sh100million has been released to enable the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) to start purchasing the commodity from the farmers.
Mr Munya said last week the government would ensure that the produce did not go to waste.
Speaking at Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Cooperative Society stores in Ngurubani, Mr Munya said the agency would buy the rice at Sh85 per kilogramme as per the directive President Uhuru Kenyatta issued.
Farmers had expressed fears of their produce rotting at the society’s stores if the market is not found urgently.
“It is true we have so much unsold rice in our stores. It may go to waste if urgent measures are not taken,” said one of the farmers.
They said the KNTC, which the government directed to buy their rice, had kept away from the area. In February last year, President Kenyatta visited the area and ordered that rice be bought at Sh85 per kilogramme, up from Sh45 for farmers to make a profit.
The President instructed the agency to implement his directive with immediate effect.
The Kenya National Trading Corporation bought rice for some time, but it stopped, leaving the farmers without a reliable market.
President Kenyatta said brokers had exploited the farmers for a long time, resulting in the intervention.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
