Loss for tobacco growers as produce is rejected

Migori, Kenya: Tobacco farmers in Uriri want the county government to intervene and save them from impending loss after some firms declined to purchase their produce.

Speaking to The Standard, tobacco farmer Juma Abwao complained of discrimination exhibited by firms when purchasing the dry leaves.

"We take our products to the collection points for these firms to purchase but they end up selecting tobacco from those farmers who bought farm inputs from them and reject our products," he said.

NOT RIGHT

Abwao claimed the firms issued a directive saying their farm inputs are the best and requiring farmers to purchase these from them at a fee payable after the harvest.

He said farmers who rejected the highly priced inputs or struggled to service the loan before the harvest are now having their produce rejected.

"This is outright exploitation yet we have a Government that should take care of us," he said.

Abwao's sentiments were echoed by Elizabeth Atieno, a widow and a mother of three, who depends on her two acre tobacco farm for her family's up keep.

"I took my tobacco to a collection point but was rejected because I did not take the inputs they offered. The buying firms now claim my tobacco leaves are of low quality," she said.

However, speaking to The Standard, British American Tobacco (BAT) Communications Director Jack Kithinji said tobacco firms have a new policy which requires farmers to sign a contract with them before they begin cultivating.

CONTRACT FARMING

"We currently have contracts with 5,900 farmers who we offer inputs and technical assistance to ensure the tobacco they produce is of a high quality and meets our company's standards.

We therefore do not buy tobacco from other farmers unless we exhaust the ones from farmers we contracted," he said.

In response to the farmer's cry, Agriculture Executive Iscar Oluoch said the county government will play an arbitration role to encourage firms to purchase the tobacco.