ELDORET, KENYA: The government has worked out a plan to lock out cartels in the maize sector after releasing Sh5 billion meant for purchase of maize from small holder farmers.
In the plan, the government is banking on regional and county commissioners who will see the formation of committees that will vet maize farmers on their farms prior to delivery of produce to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund CEO Omar Salat on Thursday held a meeting with Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Mongo Chimwanga and County Commissioners from the maize growing counties to deliberate on the implementation of the new strategy.
“We received Sh5 Billion from the government earlier this week, money which we are committed to ensure goes to the pockets of deserving small holder farmers. Administrators at the grass root level shall conduct a verification process to keep off the cartels,” said Salat.
Deputy County Commissioners will chair the vetting committees which will comprise of a Sub County Agricultural Officer as the secretary while Sub County Administrator and a representative of farmers cooperatives will be members.
A farmer intending to sell their maize to the NCPB shall be required to first fill the Application for Maize Purchase by National Government form with vital details that the committee shall verify.
“The serialized forms shall contain the biodata of the farmer, size of land under maize, quantity produced, quantity to be sold to the government, and preferred delivery point. This shall be supported by copies of title deeds or lease agreements for the land,” said Salat.
Salat said the committees will deal away with unstructured delivery of maize to the NCPB which previously received the produce on first come first served basis making the depots chaotic with long queues.
“Farmers who pass the vetting process shall be guided by a delivery schedule for each day. This will eliminate the suffering they have been undergoing on the queues for weeks. Lack of a delivery schedule was among the loopholes explored by cartels,” said Salat.
The trust fund has also specified allocation quotas for the selected thirteen counties which have been identified to have had surplus production. The specification has been taken seriously to include a selected sub counties in some counties.
NCPB will only accept a total of two million bags from Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Narok, Nakuru, Kericho, Bungoma, Migori, Nyandarua and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. Others include Laikipia County (Ngarua Division), Kakamega (Lugari Sub County) and Nandi (Nandi North Sub County).
The Fund has placed a cap on the maximum number of bags a single farmer can supply at 400 bags of 90kgs each which shall be delivered to nearest NCPB depot or an aggregation center as advised by the committee.
“No maize shall be bought from traders, brokers and middlemen as priority shall be to small scale farmers. Any farmer who wish to supply over 400 bags shall seek clearance from the Strategic Food Reserve Oversight Board,” he said.
Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Mongo Chimwanga lauded the trust fund for the strategy citing that lack of clear guidelines on the role of administrators in the purchase process had complicated the process in the previous years.
