Anguish of farmers stuck with 300,000 bags of last year’s maize

Lorries queue to offload maize at a National Cereals and Produce Board depot in February. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Farmers in the North Rift are still holding hundreds of thousands of bags of maize as the cereals board is not accepting any more supplies.

Faced with numerous challenges occasioning losses running into billions, farmers have reduced the acreage under maize, while others have turned their farms into wheat fields and commercial pasture.

And with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) slamming its doors in their faces, feelings of being cheated have quickly been overtaken by worries of piling utility bills and accruing debts.

Paul Marus, a large-scale farmer in Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia counties, said their woes had been compounded by delayed payments of grain already delivered.

“The Government has not paid me for the maize I supplied to NCPB. I still have more than 3,000 bags of maize in my store yet the government has stopped further purchase.”

Jackson Kwambai, a farmer from Moiben, said he risked losing 1,150 bags of 90kg each, which he had in storage.

Purchase suspended

“I am yet to be paid for 1,560 bags each of 50kg that I delivered to NCPB. The Government seems to lack money and that is why it recently suspended further purchase of maize from farmers,” said Kwambai

He said he had already ventured into tomato production, and because of lack of inputs had only planted 1.2 acres of maize out of 60 acres he had ploughed.

“There are more than 300,000 bags of last year’s maize still held by individual farmers in their stores in our county. The Government’s Sh3,200 offer for a 90kg bag of maize for the Strategic Food Reserves through the NCPB was the best and it explains why many farmers opted to deliver their produce through it,” said Samuel Yego, the Agriculture minister.

He noted that the price was way higher than what was offered by other players, including millers and traders. Millers, according to sources, offered between Sh2,500 and Sh2,800 while traders bought a bag at between Sh2,100 and Sh2,300.

Expressed fear

“Farmers were not fully supported after last season’s harvest. After offering the Sh3,200 producer price, financial arrangements should have been made to purchase all produce from farmers,” said Yego.

He expressed fear that the bulk of produce still in the hands of farmers could be going to waste due to poor storage. “Weevils, rodents and the prevailing humid conditions could lead to post-harvest losses and subject farmers to heavy loses.”