County seeks to cut off cartels, brokers from marketing chain

 By  MUNENE KAMAU

Kirinyaga, Kenya: The Kirinyaga County Government will put in place stringent measures to ensure farmers get better returns from their produce.

Governor Joseph Ndathi said farmers have in the past lost millions of shillings to brokers and middlemen who continue to exploit them due to lack of proper marketing structures of their produce.

“From now henceforth, my government is going to devote more attention to marketing of our produce by blocking all avenues cartels and brokers use to deny our farmers their rightful returns to their labour,” he said.

Draft bill

He warned that the culture where ‘cartels reaped where they didn’t sow’ will no longer be tolerated in the county.

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The governor was speaking at Kiaga market when he launched a seed multiplication programme where six tonnes of certified maize seed worth Sh900,000 were distributed to famers.

Farmers also received seeds for the Irish potatoes, beans, dry land rice, sorghum and Wilmer flowers all valued at Sh2.64 million.

During the launch, the county executive committee member in charge of Agriculture Wambu Miano said he will draft law seeking to bar uncertified seed dealers from carrying out their business in the area.

He said once the law comes into effect, seed dealers will be required to provide details of their breeders, points of packing and all the literature about their products for ease of tracing them in the event of a germination failure or other shortcomings.