Maize prices drop by 27 per cent in North Rift

ELDORET: Farmers in the North Rift continued to troop to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots to deliver their maize as the Government announced new prices for the commodity.

NCPB will now buy a 90kg bag of maize at Sh2,200, which is 27 per cent less compared to the Sh3,000 it paid for the same amount last year.

The new price may not go down well with farmers, who had piled pressure on the Government to make the announcement and were expecting more than Sh3,000 for the 90-kg bag.

However, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei said farmers will benefit from a rebate of Sh500 per bag as compensation for challenges incurred, diseases, crop failure and impact of erratic weather.

Farmers began to deliver maize to NCPB depots on Tuesday following a directive issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Together with leaders from maize growing regions, they asked the State to announce new prices.

Baringo Senator Gideon Moi Wednesday afternoon called on the Government to immediately announce new prices for the produce, saying the announcement was long overdue.

He made the remarks during the burial of veteran politician JJ Kamotho in Murang'a County.

Present at the burial were Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto, who Moi commended for having ordered NCPB to open its depots.

On Monday, farmers and leaders in the North Rift had given the national government a 24-hour ultimatum to announce new prices, failure to which they would hold protests in the region.

However, the planned demonstrations were shelved for three more days to allow the Government to address the issue after Uhuru ordered for the re-opening of the cereals board.

The resolution was reached after local leaders and stakeholders met at Nandi grounds in Eldoret Wednesday.

The farmers maintained the State ought to set the maize price at Sh3,500 to enable them benefit from their hard work.

Speaking to The Standard, the farmers, led by Moiben MP Silas Tiren, said the decision to postpone the protests was reached following the President's directive to the board.

"The farmers had agreed to give the President and his deputy three more days to make quick consultations and solve the stalemate by announcing the prices of maize, which has become a worry to many," he said.

PROMPT PAYMENTS

Kenya Farmers Association Director Kipkorir Menjo challenged the Government to be prompt in making payments.

He said there was no need for farmers to queue at NCPB depots across the region and later experience delays in payment.

Mr Menjo called on farmers to be patient and give the State a chance to streamline issues affecting the maize sector ahead of next year's planting season.

Jonathan Bii, a farmer and politician from the North Rift, took issue with the Jubilee administration, wondering why it had taken long to address the maize challenges.

"Why is the Jubilee administration acting slowly as if it did not anticipate such a challenge when it subsidised farm inputs during the planting season?" he posed.

He said there was need for county officials and the ministry to embark on vetting farmers who avail their produce to NCPB so that genuine ones benefit from the venture.

Bob Tanui, a youth representative and farmer, called on the State to enact policies to shield farmers from dishonest middlemen and brokers.

"We want EAC countries to embrace a common market but not by killing efforts made by farmers in the country who expect to benefit from the value of their products," he said.

Farmers in Eldoret, Moiben , Ziwa, Mosoriot, and Kitale and Moi's Bridge queued to deliver their produce hoping the new prices will be favourable.

So far farmers in Eldoret had delivered about 7, 000 tonnes of maize by Wednesday afternoon.