The State has bought 460,000 bags of maize only out of the two million it targets to purchase from farmers for last season’s harvest.
This is amid the irony of food shortages in semi arid areas, as cereal producers in North Rift struggle to market their abundant harvests realised over the last two seasons.
The ongoing drought situation in parts of the country has reportedly left residents of pastoral regions staring at starvation, prompting some to migrate in search of water and pasture for livestock.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri yesterday said the 460,000 bags are deliveries from small-scale farmers.
“If we had decided to start the purchase from large scale farmers, we would immediately receive 1.5 million bags, but we decided to first support the small-scale maize farmers and later on, we will buy from the large scale ones,” Mr Kiunjuri said without committing on when NCPB will start receiving maize deliveries from large scale farmers.
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Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago said the Sh2 billion released by the Treasury for the purchase of fertiliser was too little to purchase adequate fertiliser for farmers, noting that Sh5.4 billion would have been adequate to buy the input.
Proper planning
Anglican Church of Kenya retired bishop Thomas Kogo said there is need for proper planning and implementation of policies that will enhance food production and distribution to drought-ravaged regions to curb starvation.
“Reports of starvation in Turkana are just early indications of worst food situation ahead of us.
There will be an outcry of food deficits next year since most farmers may not plant this season,” said Bishop Kogo.
