A farmer inspecting her maize. [photo/farmerstrend.co.ke/maizefarmer.jpg]Farmers in the North Rift want National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to reduce requirements on maize it is currently buying.
They said the percentages of white, colored, broken maize and moisture conditions were high, saying the board should reduce them.
They should be revised,” said Yassin Kiprop of Turbo, Uasin County. He also wants the board to waive fees on its dryers to cut on post-harvest losses. The farmers further want NCPB to actualize Warehouse Receipting system and commodities exchange, saying they would improve prices and cut post-harvest losses.
Because of conditions and the weather conditions, they said most farmers were in hurry to dispose of their produce at lower prices. Middlemen who have flocked the region are buying maize at throwaway prices.
Others want the government to release more funds to the board to buy all maize in the region, expressing fears that it could close early due to lack of adequate funds.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett last week warned that the ongoing rains in the region, the country’s breadbasket, was responsible for huge post-harvest losses estimated at about 20 percent.
He said the losses would precipitate a maize shortage next year, forcing the government to import grains to make up for the shortfall.
Conferring to the 2017 Commercial Survey, Kenya had 37.1 million 90kg bags of maize last year and had anticipated 40 million bags this time of year.