More than 500 carrot farmers from Mau Narok have accused the Horticultural Crops Development Authority (HCDA) officers of declining to renew their export licenses subjecting them to huge losses.
The members of the Mau Narok Farmers Rural SACCO have said that they applied for renewal of their export licenses mid this year but the renewal has not been effected.
''Usually we export carrots to East African countries but frustrations from Kenyan officials are hindering our trade with these countries. Recently I lost more than 90 bags of carrots worth Sh 300,000 after Kenyan uuthorities confiscated the produce 40 Kilometres into Uganda from the Malaba border,'' said Joseph Kinyanjui, a carrot farmer from Mau Narok.
He was later charged with exporting carrots without a license and fined Sh 20,000
Kinyanjui accused some HCDA officers of collaborating with brokers to exploit them. Brokers are buying a bag of carrots from farmers at 400 then selling it at Sh 2300 in the outside market.
Nakuru County chain Development Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture Hillary Ng’eno said that the delay has been caused by a raft of changes in the Horticultural Crops Directorate to realign them with AFFA Act.
''Farmers applied for the renewal of licenses using the old forms before the AFFA (Agriculture Food and Fisheries Authority) Act came out so they have to fill in the new forms according to the changes in the ministry,' 'said Ng’eno.
He however said that the licenses will be out soon.