Save maize farmers agony of searching for buyers

The management of Kenya's staple grain, maize, has become a problem and source of headache to the farmers who grow it.

Just one month after President Uhuru Kenyatta stepped in and directed the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to start buying the grain to relieve farmers of their financial burdens, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei has come up with a declaration that seems to contradict his boss.

He wants county governments to buy the maize from farmers. He says they should stop over-relying on the NCPB.

The President directed the NCPB to start buying maize from farmers last month while presiding over the Kenya Navy Golden Jubileee celebrations at the Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa County. He specifically directed the board to open its godowns and buy maize from farmers so as to avoid exploitation by middlemen.

While there is nothing wrong with telling County Governments to buy maize, Koskei whose docket is charged with ensuring the country's food security, should not paint the picture that NCPB was created solely for storage, research and duties other than buying grain.

Koskei was quoted saying that the national government would only come in to help put up stores to ensure proper storage.

But NCPB has been identified with the buying and storage of maize since time immemorial. It's stores are spread out across the nation and has infrastructure for that purpose.

Buying and storing maize has always been the board's duty even when due to political reasons, the name briefly changed to Kenya Grain Growers Co-operative Union (KGGCU).

It was created to provide farmers with an efficient means to dispose their produce and ensure food security. That includes offering reasonable prices and that is why the President pointed out that the involvement of the NCPB would cushion farmers from speculative buyers.

Nothing in his directive barred others, county governments included, from buying the maize, provided farmers are properly remunerated for their sweat.

Mr Koskei would have been in order had he asked county governments to play a complementary role to that of NCPB to enhance efficiency.

Maize is Kenya's staple food and its shortage translates to famine. That is why the way it is handled should hinge on proper policy guidelines as opposed to haphazard actions and reactions.

Maize prices should not go beyond that which is stipulated by the NCPB because fluctuations inconvenience farmers.

 

In a situation where maize farmers would easily switch to crops they feel can recoup their expenses and leave them with profits, it is precarious to play ping pong with this lot.

A food shortage that may come as a result of the confusion within the sector will only benefit crooked businesspeople.

That is why the Government should try and avoid any situation that may allow them to ship in cheap imports like they always do whenever they succeed in creating artificial shortage of the grain.

Everything must be done to avoid ugly scenarios that were seen some time back when greedy individuals took advantage of maize shortage, exported and then re-imported maize at the expense of suffering citizens.

The Government ought to be serious with maize and other grains commonly used in Kenya like beans, rice and wheat.

These are crops for which farmers should not only to be paid promptly and sufficiently, but their production process should be insulated against natural disasters and price fluctuations to ensure stability.