The Ministry of Agriculture says improved market access especially to agro-processors and exporters provided a ready contract market for farmers thereby illustrating the need for them to embrace contract farming.
A relatively bumper harvest saw prices of most food drop to a 12-month low across the country in December.
The National Agricultural Commodities Market Information shows that in Nairobi, a 90-kilo sack of green maize sold for Sh1,500 down from Sh2,619. The same quantity of sorghum went for Sh3,600 down from Sh5,066 reported last November.
The price of a sack of Mwezi Moja beans, which last November retailed for Sh9,266 dropped to Sh5,000 while that of Dolichos (Njahi) slipped to Sh5,400 compared to Sh9,266.
A sack of cowpeas retailed for Sh6,500 compared to Sh8,200, Fresh peas at 2,500 down from Sh3,510 and a 110-kilo sack of groundnuts at Sh11,000 down from Sh13,071.
Interestingly, tomatoes and carrots have maintained an upward price trend with a 64 kilogramme crate of tomatoes going for Sh5,800—the highest reported in the period—while a 138-kilo extended bag of carrots sold for Sh2,992 compared to Sh2,200.
Banana farmers were a happy lot as a 22-kilogramme bunch of cooking bananas fetched Sh1,000 from last year’s Sh536.
Sweet potato growers also enjoyed a rise with a 98-kilo crate selling for Sh3,500 up from Sh2,995.
The Ministry of Agriculture says improved market access especially to agro-processors and exporters provided a ready contract market for farmers thereby illustrating the need for them to embrace contract farming.
According to the Export Promotion Council CEO Peter Biwott, formation of farmer common interest groups (CIG) has helped fresh produce exports to partner with growers establishing steady value chains to help sustain export markets.
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