A section of farmers in Uasin Gishu county is demanding the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to immediately open its doors and start purchasing maize from them.
Led by Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) director Kipkorir Menjo, the farmers have lamented that despite President Uhuru Kenyatta's directive that the cereals board stores be opened for farmers to deliver their produce, the Eldoret stores remain closed.
President Kenyatta had about a week ago issued a directive to the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) to start buying maize from farmers at Sh2,500 per kilogram bag through the NCPB stores across the country.
“As I am talking we now have over 40 tractors and lorries lining up to take their produce to NCPB but there is no communication from the officials as to why the gates are closed yet the line is becoming longer and longer. They should obey the president’s directive,” said Menjo who pointed out that at this time, the lorries and tractors could have already delivered their maize and only lining up to get fertilizers ready for planting season.
“As farmers, we are wondering why the presidential directive has not been followed. Who is cheating us, is it the president or NCPB or ministry of Agriculture?" he added.
Menjo who was speaking to the press at the Eldoret NCPB depot on Monday further said that they had a meeting with maize taskforce led by SFR board chairman Noah Wekesa and Trans Nzoia governor Patrick Khaemba on Tuesday and they promised that the cereals would be opened on Monday.
He urged the president to intervene for the cereals board to be opened saying farmers were suffering.
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