No 'free' money for miraa farmers: task force

There will be no free money to be dished out to miraa (khat) farmers as widely expected, the committee implementing a task force report on developing the sector says.

Kello Harsama, the Miraa Task Force Implementation Committee chair, said contrary to rumours, farmers will not get for free any portion of the Sh1 billion fund allocated for miraa development.

Mr Harsama said the funds were meant for specific programmes and each shilling would have to be accounted for.

The fund was allocated to help uplift the sector after a task force noted that the crop faced serious challenges after a ban in major European markets including the Netherlands and the UK.

“We don’t have money to give out to individuals in the villages but we will undertake programmes according to the needs of the farmer and improve the crop,” said Mr Harsama, who is also Secretary Administration at the Agriculture ministry, State Department of Crops Development.

Redeem farms

However, a kitty will be set aside to “redeem” farms which had been hired by middlemen through private deals, where traders pay some money to farmers in exchange of harvesting and selling the crop.

Thousands of farmers have, however, been exploited in this manner since they are paid peanuts as the traders make a killing.

“We understand that there are farmers whose crop has been held hostage for some reason and some money will be set aside for the purpose of supporting them to recover their crop,” Mr Harsama said.

He spoke when the committee made a courtesy call on Governor Kiraitu Murungi in its first meeting with stakeholders.

Mr Murungi expressed concern that some politicians had dragged him into the politics surrounding release of the cash, and asked the committee to clarify the matter.

Mr Harsama explained that the county did not have any say on the expenditure of the Sh1 billion, adding that the money was with the ministry.

“Any expenditure in this kitty has a vote and there is nowhere the county comes in. Let me assure miraa farmers that we will spend the money to help them improve the crop,” he said.

Co-op loans

“We have also heard people says some money will be used to buy macadamia and avocado seedlings but that is not true. Not even a shilling will be used to diversify into other crops,” he said.

At the same time, regulations are being worked on to ensure that farmers access the money through co-operative societies, Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (Nyamita) chairman Kimathi Munjuri, who is a member of the committee said.

“We are coming up with specific criteria that will determine how much interest will be charged but it will be minimal to the level that farmers will not feel it because these will not be commercial loans,” he said.

According to a schedule released by the ministry, the committee will meet local leaders and county administrators in Meru, Embu and Tharaka-Nithi between October 15 and 27.