A day after farmers protested the new maize buying price of 2,200 shillings per bag, the ministry of agriculture has increased the price by 100 shillings. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei says the National Cereals and Produce Board will buy maize from farmers at 2,300 shillings. The price at which the National Cereals and Produce Board has been buying maize from farmers has been reducing since 2012 when farmers sold a bag of maize at 3,200 shillings. Last year the price reduced to 3,000 shillings a bag and on Wednesday it dropped by 26 percent. The new purchase price infuriated maize farmers especially in the north rift who argued that the price was too low compared to the high cost of maize production. Despite farmers demanding that the government NCPB buys maize at at least 3,000 shillings per bag, Koskei insists that the new price would see farmers make a profit of 21 percent. He said the government is keen on lowering the cost of living for Kenyans by subsidizing farm inputs to boost productivity.

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