The national government has been urged to review some of the international treaties that have far-reaching effects on the county governments. Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma said what is ailing the rice sector in the country is cheap importation of the commodity. Speaking at West Kano irrigation scheme in Ahero on Tuesday, Ranguma said unrestricted imports have made it hard for rice farmers to find markets locally. The governor said treaties allowing countries like Pakistan to import rice to Kenya and in return allow exportation of Kenyan tea is hurting some rice-growing counties. “Here in Kisumu we don’t grow tea and that treaty is not helping us, it is rather affecting our farmers who are not able to sell their rice," he said. He is now calling upon the national government to abandon some treaties that were signed before the country promulgated the new constitution. Ranguma said allowing the importation of cheap rice in the country is like sabotaging the economy of rice-growing counties. The governor said rice is one of the major cash and food crops and the county depends on it to grow the economy. He noted that some rice mills in the area have shut down in recent times, largely due to having to operate at below capacity. He noted that the mills are unable to compete with ballooning imports from Asian countries. Ranguma urged rice farmers to add value to their products to fetch more income. “Our farmers must diversify their farming and add value to their products to be able to reap from their hard work," he said.

Share news tips with us here at Hivisasa