Maize stocks will only last up to next month

By John Oyuke

The country has only 7.5 million bags of maize that can last up to the end of next month, the Assistant Director in the Ministry of Agriculture Zacharia Mairura said has said.

"Because of this, the Government will have to think hard on how to get more grains," Mairura said during an Heinrich Boll Stiftung workshop on food insecurity in the country in Nairobi yesterday.

Participants in roundtable talks organised by the German Development Service asked the Government to speed up agricultural reforms and pull the country out of perennial food shortages.

Mairura said production from the North Rift grain basket region is expected to cap at only 60 per cent, meaning the country would continue to depend on maize imports to maintain steady maize flour prices.

Think hard

The roundtable also launched a report on Maize Prices & Governance: Is our Path Worthwhile?

Mairura said there is need for guidelines for famine relief agencies to purchase relief stocks from local farmers in order to strengthen market linkages and value chain development of indigenous food grains.

He said without such guidelines, the agencies would still import maize instead of buying locally to strengthen farmers.

Booker Owuor Ochieng, Rural/Agricultural Economist at Sower Solutions Company called on National Cereals and Produce Board to reform itself and the sub-sector at large.

A consultative, transparent and all-inclusive system, he added, should be put in place to steer the required reforms.

On maize as the staple food in Kenya, Ochieng pointed out that the food crop is still troubled both at production and marketing levels and called for diversification to focus on other food crops.

He blamed the lack of diversification to the overwhelming taste for maize meal and failure by Government to market other food crops.

He also said though recent moves by Government to offer subsidies to farmers was a step in the right direction, more needs to be done in reaching all regions.

Ochieng challenged the Government to dialogue widely, target the subsidies to critical agricultural areas and incorporate the private sector if any gains are to be realised.

He said that while the Government’s intention of irrigated agriculture is welcome, the big test lies in addressing the vices that brought down the earlier irrigation schemes.

Political interference

"Mismanagement, corruption and political interference must be divorced from these schemes and competent managers be appointed to manage the schemes," he said.

Ochieng expressed optimism that efforts from all stakeholders, diversifying production, investing in irrigation and increasing production per unit through increase of fertilizer uptake, hybrid seeds and proper crop husbandry could lead to food security in the country.