Farmers cry foul as NCPB opens doors for maize purchase 

The move by National Cereals and Produce (NCPB) to purchase maize at Sh5,600 for a 90kg bag has not achieved much as many farmers had already exhausted their produce, Business Hub has established.

A spot check at various places in the North Rift grain basket establised that there few people in queues in many NCPB depots in the region as was the norm in the past.

Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) director Kipkorir arap Menjo said many farmers in the region had disposed of their maize to millers and traders who were buying their maize at between Sh4,000 and Sh4,500.

 Family’s needs

“It is only those with other alternative sources of livelihood who still have some maize but those who only depend on agriculture sold their maize long before the announcement of new prices to cater for their family needs including payment of school fees for their children,” he said. Before the announcement of new prices by NCPB, maize prices in the region had dropped to Sh4,500 a bag, sparking complaints from farmers.

Farmers who spoke to Business Hub in the region yesterday lauded the increment of maize prices but called on the government to in future open NCPB stores on time to benefit all farmers.  “Most small-scale farmers had no option but to sell our produce to millers and traders who bought them at very low prices to meet our financial needs. 

The traders and farmers with the capacity are the ones who will make a kill with the announcement of new prices,” said John Sawe, a small-scale farmer from Uasin-Gishu County.

Sawe said he had harvested more than 300 bags of maize but he exhausted all of them after he sold them to traders and millers to be able to take his children to school.

Another farmer, Samuel Kiptoo from Trans-Nzoia County also said he has no produce to sell to NCPB after he exhausted the over 1,000 bags he harvested even as he decried importation of cheap maize from neighbouring countries.

“Our main challenge as farmers is the flooding of cheap maize from neighbouring countries which destabilise the local market. This is what we are calling on the government to regulate by removing unscrupulous middlemen and traders who are buying the maize and sell it to NCPB,” he said.

Business Hub established that many large-scale farmers with the financial muscle usually purchase maize from small scale farmers and hoard them in anticipation for better prices later.

Maize farmers in the grain basket have been demanding that NCPB pay at least Sh5,000 for a 90-kilogram bag for farming to be a profitable venture.