Uasin Gishu County governor Jackson Mandago has urged the national government to buy more maize from farmers in the region.
Governor Mandago observed that farmers are desperate following the failure by the national government to buy their produce.
He said that many farmers have threatened to abandon maize farming if the government is not willing to provide a market for them as it had promised earlier on.
“My appeal is to the national government to come and buy more maize from our farmers,” said Mandago.
Governor Mandago added that despite the region being a top cereal produce in the country, it lacks a ready market for their produce.
The Governor however, said that his government is seeking alternative market for the farmers as a way of encouraging them to continue producing maize. He at the same time cautioned farmers against selling their maize to middle-men, whom he said exploit them to their own benefit.
“Middle-men are only interested in swindling farmers for their own benefits. I encouraged locals to continue farming maize as I still continue talking to the government to reconsider buying maize from them,” appealed Mandago.
He added that enough money has been set aside to buy farm inputs for the farmers ahead of this planting season as a way of encouraging maize farming in the area.