Maize farmers in the North Rift will have to wait longer before they deliver produce to the National Cereals and Produce Board amid concern of the cereal’s high moisture content.

Most farmers have harvested their crop while others are yet to do so owing to heavy rains pounding some parts of the region in the past weeks. 

NCPB North Rift branch manager Gilbert Rotich told farmers they should not expect to access the depots any time soon as no arrangements have been made to allow them to start delivering produce to the facilities.

Speaking to the press in Eldoret  yesterday, Rotich told the farmers to be patient, saying the government was yet to give them the green light to open the silos.

“We are still waiting for instructions from the head office in Nairobi in regards to opening of the depots. Farmers will be forced to wait a bit longer before they can access the depots,” said Rotich.

Transport costs

He was reacting to complaints by farmers from Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Transnzoia counties over delay by the government to open the silos saying their maize has started rotting because of  lack of  proper storage.

Led by Kimutai Kolum and Gilbert Korgoret, they also appealed to  the government to build additional silos to help contain post-harvest losses.

“There is urgent need to construct at least two depots in each county where maize is grown in large scale to cut down on transport costs,” he said.

According to Korgoret, there was urgent need to construct at least two depots in each county where maize if grown to address the farmers problem every harvesting season in the region.