Maize farmers’ dilemma: To sell or not to sell at Sh5,200
Maize farmers in the Rift Valley are faced with tough balancing act selling the produce to middlemen who make prompt payment and waiting for the government to announce the price following the projected bumper harvest.
Middlemen have flocked markets in the North Rift region, the country’s food basket, offering Sh5,200 per a 90-kilogramme bag of maize as farmers embark on harvesting the crop commence with the yield projected to increase from 32 million bags to 44 million bags this season following the distribution of subsidised fertiliser and favourable climatic condition.
But the Ministry of Agriculture has cautioned the farmers against selling the produce at exploitive prices with Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has disclosed plans by the government to purchase one million bags of maize for the National Food Reserve as it moves to bolster its emergency food stock following the projected bumper harvest.
“We are consulting with the national treasury to avail funds and we shall soon announce prices to buy maize from farmers,” said Mr Linturi when he inspected driers at Kenya Seed Company in Kitale Trans Nzoia County.
He said the government was keen to buy the stable through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) at attractive prices to enable them earn profit from the investment.
“The Warehouse Receipt System has been activated to enable farmers to store their crop to cushion against post-harvest losses,” said Mr Linturi.
But the farmers are faced with tough balancing act, selling the produce to middlemen at throwaway prices or wait for the government to announce the price.
“A bird at hand is worth two in the bush and this has driven some of the farmers faced with financial challenges like school fees for their children and demands for basic needs to sell their produce at throwaway prices,” said John Kirui from Chepkumia in Nandi County.
