Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has defended the government against accusations that it has failed to purchase maize from farmers in the North Rift.
Kiunjuri reiterated that contrary to claims by farmers, the government received more maize from farmers this season than it was expected.
The CS who was speaking at the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) Bull Station in Endebess in Trans Nzoia on Thursday said the budget of Sh7 billion set aside for the purchase of maize could not meet the farmer’s deliveries.
He said the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) had targeted to purchase at least 2.4 million bags, while farmers delivered 3.2 million, 800,000 bags more.
"We said that we will have Sb7 billion to buy maize but this time around we have more maize worth Sh10 billion," said Kiunjuri.
He, however, disclosed that the government through a supplementary budget has set aside another Sh1 billion to buy all the maize from farmers.
The CS also disclosed that another Sh125 million has been sourced from alternative means that will enable the government pay farmers from next week.
There has been an outcry from farmers that the government had delayed to pay them for the maize delivered to the NCPB.
Farmers have also expressed fears that delayed payments for their deliveries will have adverse effects on the preparations for this year’s planting season.
The CS however asked farmers to be patient and allow the board to restore the maize already bought to other silos to pave way for storage at the silos.
Early this week, farmers in Eldoret protested the decision by the government to turn away maize farmers saying the stores were full.