Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has directed all farmers and aggregators to deliver their wheat stock to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).

This comes amid reports that wheat farmers in Kenya are stuck with over 321,000 bags of wheat after the government through NCPB and private millers failed to buy the produce.

The CS also announced that payments to farmers will take place within 30 days after delivery to the warehouses across the country which will be done by NCPB.

In a memorandum of understanding to be signed on Monday, March 3, 2025, between the NCPB and the millers, the wheat from the NCPB will be collected by millers and payments done within 14 to 21 days.

“In addition, a stern warning has been issued to those who would want to hijack the resolutions to address the crisis by delivering imported wheat to the NCPB as they will be arrested for sabotaging the process,” the Ministry announced in a statement on Monday, March 3, 2025.

“The CS spoke after a meeting to address challenges faced by farmers at his office at Kilimo house attended by the Principal Secretary Dr.Paul Ronoh ,NCPB MD Samuel Karogo, Agriculture and Food Authority DG Dr.Bruno Linyiru, Agriculture Secretary Collins Marangu, Agricultural Cereals Millers Association(CMA) led by its Chief Executive Officer Paloma Fernandez and vice chair Beju Shah and also the Cereal Growers Association(CGA) led by its CEO Anthony Kioko.”

The CS expressed his intentions to reduce the importation of wheat by ensuring local farmers produce from the current 8% to above 40% demand by millers.

The move to have NCPB collect wheat from farmers also gives a data base that will be used to issue subsidized fertilisers which further reduce the cost of production hence more profits.