Muhoroni Member of Parliament Onyango Koyoo has cautioned rice farmers against selling their produce to middlemen.
The caution came after it emerged that there is increased presence of middlemen in the county during the harvesting season to buy rice at cheap prices.
He noted that a number of farmers were facing exploitation from middlemen owing to lack of Societies and asked farmers to form Saccos.
Koyoo who was addressing farmers at Ombeyi on Monday urged farmers to market their produce through cooperatives societies to boost their income.
“We need to sell farm produce to licensed millers instead of throwing it away to unscrupulous middlemen,” he said.
He added that most of the farmers are being exploited by the middlemen making them to incur huge losses.
Koyoo stated that the exploitation has greatly derailed rice farming in Muhoroni, Nyakach and Nyando constituencies.
“It is unfortunate that our farmers are being taken advantage of by middlemen. Farmers should avoid brokers because right now they are busy waiting in the streets for the harvesting season,” Koyoo said.
He appealed to the county government to ensure sufficient provision of farm inputs such as seeds and fertiliser at affordable prices to farmers adding that the county assembly should enact bills that will protect farmers against the exploitation.
Koyoo revealed that plans to create and revive farmers’ co-operatives aimed at opening up the regions for investments as well as to improve farmers’ livelihoods.
He said the process will involve setting up of policies to guide operations of the societies and impart investment culture among members.
According to Koyoo, the cooperatives will be important towards assisting farmers to identify markets for their products in the region noting that despite the region’s rich agricultural ability not much had been done to reap from the sector.