Tonnes of the commodity have been attacked by pests and mould due to lack of proper storage facilities as farmers struggle to find an alternative market for the produce.
The government allocated Sh7.1 billion for buying 2.4 million bags but it exceeded the target after cartels imported cheap maize and sold it to NCPB at the expense of farmers.
Farmers are demanding about Sh4 billion for maize deliveries to the board. Private millers in the region have also scaled down buying maize due to a decline in demand for flour.
Rift valley maize worth millions of shillings is going to waste in the North Rift region due to lack of market after the government suspended buying of the crop.
Tonnes of the commodity have been attacked by pests and mould due to lack of proper storage facilities as farmers struggle to find an alternative market for the produce.
“I harvested over 3,000 bags but managed to sell only 1,000 to the National Cereals and Produce Board before it was closed,” said Jackson Too from Moiben, Uasin Gishu County. According to Crops Development Permanent Secretary Richard Lesiyampe, the government stopped buying maize from farmers after stocking enough for the Strategic Grains Reserve (SGR) this season.
The government allocated Sh7.1 billion for buying 2.4 million bags but it exceeded the target after cartels imported cheap maize and sold it to NCPB at the expense of farmers.
Farmers are demanding about Sh4 billion for maize deliveries to the board. Private millers in the region have also scaled down buying maize due to a decline in demand for flour.
“Our remaining market option was millers after we were turned away by the cereals board but most of them are no longer accepting our produce since there is plenty in the market at low rates,” said Wilson Too from Chepkumia, Nandi County. Some farmers have opted to sell their produce to animal feed manufacturers as maize and wheat prices depreciate due to oversupply.
“We can now mill our own animal feeds from cheap maize and wheat,” said Joshua Melly from Cheboite, Nandi County. The price of wheat has dropped from Sh3,600 per 90 kilo bag to Sh2,800 while that of maize has fallen to Sh1,800 from Sh2,600 as farmers rush to sell the produce to avert further losses.
Farmers have petitioned the government to hand over NCPB functions to counties arguing that the agriculture department was transferred to the devolved units.
They said de-centralisation of NCPB will safeguard it from mismanagement.
“Governors and county officials understand farmers in their jurisdictions well and hence should be given an upper hand in the management of NCPB for delivery of quality services,” said Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo during a recent farmers’ meeting in Eldoret.
The farmers claimed that the suspension of eight top NCPB officials and resignation of CEO Newton Terer was a scheme by some influential personalities in the government to cover up massive corruption at the board.
