Farmers ask for Sh300 million for supplies to Cereals Board

Farmers in Nakuru County are demanding over Sh300 million for maize supplied to the National Cereals and Produce Board.

The debt, owed to more than 1,000 farmers, has accumulated from the months of November and December last year and last month.

The produce was supplied to the board under the national government’s initiative of strategic grain reserve that can be used during drought and famine.

Lawrence Mungai, a farmer, said the board was buying a 90kg bag of maize for Sh3,200.

Mr Mungai said although the initiative of supplying the produce to government stores had rescued farmers from exploitation by brokers, non-payment of their dues was affecting them.

“Farmers appreciate the Government for providing market for the produce, but unfortunately we are not receiving pay according to our agreement,” said Mungai.

Expected pay

He said according to an agreement between farmers and the national government, they were expected to receive pay on delivery.

The delayed pay, he said, could affect supply because most farmers are financially constrained although they are expected to prepare their farms for the main planting season.

Ben Kimemia, another farmer from Bahati, said he had supplied more than 5,000 bags and was discouraged because of delayed pay.

“I'm expected to prepare my 80-acre parcel of land but I have no money. It would have been better to sell to brokers, who pay on time."

He added that for the past 10 years he has been selling maize to middlemen a low price.

The farmer said having a ready market for the produce would boost quality and quantity of yields because farmers would have money to purchase farm inputs.

“Quality and quantity of crops can only improve if farmers have enough farm inputs, for instance fertiliser and chemicals,” he said.

The Nakuru National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) acting silo manager, Alfred Korir, said that the Government had not yet released the money.

“It's true we owe farmers millions of money after the national government delayed to disburse the money. I have convinced them to continue supplying because they shall receive all their pay,” said Mr Korir.

The stores, he noted, only had 200,000 bags of maize and were expecting to receive more from farmers to be able to feed the nation during the prolonged dry spell.

Suffering losses

NCPB is purchasing a 50kg bag of maize at Sh1, 776.20, a price welcomed by farmers, who said they had been suffering losses due to middlemen.

“Farmers should supply maize because this is an emergency preparedness initiative that will be used in case the country faces drought,” said Korir.

Nakuru County harvested only 30 per cent of the expected maize. The shortage could cause food insecurity at the household and national levels.