Rice farmers from Mwea will from now be able to sell their produce to the Government just as their maize colleagues do in the Rift Valley.
This follows the decision by the Government to allocate Sh1 billion annually to be used to buy rice from the farmers, according to area MP Kabinga Wachira.
The MP said the inclusion of rice into the Strategic Food Reserve will not only provide market for the farmers but improve prices.
He said the new arrangement will now get rid of unscrupulous traders who for a long time exploited farmers in Mwea.
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Wachira said farmers will deliver their produce to the National Cereals and Produce Board.
Wachira further said he has taken a bill to parliament that will outlaw selling of horticultural crops such as tomatoes using crates.
He said the bill specifies that traders will be have to use weighing machines rather than crates which was exploitative to the farmers.
“The use of weighing machines will be a big advantage to the farmers since they will receive actual value of their crop,” Wachira said.
The legislator was speaking at Makutano in Mwea West during a burial. Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri said they will not relent in the campaign to have Commission for Revenue Allocation increase funding to the county.
Ndambiri termed as unfair those counties that generate least revenue only to receive more.
