A farmer working on his maize plantation. [Photo/businessdaily]
Maize farmers are staring at Sh14.6 billion post-harvest losses, a situation likely to trigger high prices and general food insecurity, government and researchers have warned.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Richard Lesiyampe confirmed that this year’s post-harvest losses are projected to reach between 10 percent and 12 percent of the total maize output.
This is lower than what Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report on developing countries. However, as part of mitigating the losses, the government will facilitate farmers to deliver their maize to the National Cereals and Produce Board depots.
Farmers who do not have adequate drying capacity will be assisted to deliver and dry their maize to the government stores at no cost,” said Lesiyampe. Harvest is going on in North Rift and other parts of western Kenya region.
With the onset of short rains, the PS observed that growers are likely to struggle as they dry their maize thus leading to more losses. “We have a team of agriculture officers on the ground monitoring the situation mainly the storage facilities by farmers to dry maize,” he added.
Researchers with Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development said the ongoing short rains are likely to lead to high post-harvest losses levels and thus trigger high food prices and food insecurity early next year.
Farmers are likely to be interrupted when drying maize thus lead to more losses. Most of the farmers lack proper storage facilities contributing to harvested maize accumulating high moisture content which is the main cause of aflatoxins.
Premature harvesting, lack of access to good quality packaging materials and technology, inadequate market systems and increased post-harvest losses are other contributing factors. Farmers are also grappling with the fall armyworm infestation that has reduced the potential area under maize by about 200,000ha and this may increase during the short season period.
Kenya Meteorological Department recently said that the country will receive enhanced rainfall during the October-November-December short rains, with November being the peak period.