A past maize harvesting exercise. [Photo/businessdaily]
The country is staring a possible food crisis following a drop in maize production.
This is due to army worms attack in some parts of the country’s food baskets of Trans-Nzoia, Bungoma and Uasin Gishu.
Additionally, heavy rains during the harvesting period contributed to the drop in yields.
“Apart from the rains which have led to increased rotting of maize in the fields, farmers are also suffering from post-harvest losses, which continue to stain their prospects.,” said Lewis Giles, the Country Director of Export Trading Group (ETG), an agricultural multinational based in Kenya.
Giles added that the losses related to the harvesting of maize range between 20% to 30%.
This means that in an acre of land where on average 30 bags of maize is harvested, an estimated six to nine bags go to waste.
He made the remarks while addressing the press Chebororwa in Moiben constituncy, Uasin Gishu County.
He was speaking during a farmers’ awareness programme on post-harvest losses on Monday.