More agony for farmers as harvesting begins

Farmers dry maize harvested at Kabomoi village, Uasin Gishu County. [Kevin Tunoi, Standard]

Expectations of a bumper maize yield this season is posing a nightmare to North Rift farmers, who are worried about storage.

Even before the long-running challenges, including delayed payments, are fully resolved, there is fear that thousands of bags of maize could go to waste as National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores are full.

The farmers are still holding substantial stocks of last season's maize that was locked out by NCPB due to lack of storage.

Weevils and rodents

Already, farmers say weevils and rodents have invaded their stores.

A spot check in parts of the North Rift indicated active maize harvesting amid heavy rains.

“I still have 5,000 bags, each weighing 90kg, in my store in Uasin Gishu and another 1,100 in Trans Nzoia. These remained after NCPB shut its stores before I exhaustively delivered my last year’s harvest of more than 10,000 bags,” said Christopher Cheruiyot, a farmer from Moiben in Uasin Gishu County.

Mr Cheruiyot, who was busy harvesting the current season's maize, said he sun-dried the maize in his compound. He covers the harvested maize with polythene paper when it rains.

Storage challenge

“Because of the favourable conditions throughout the year, I expect to harvest about 15,000 bags of maize this season. I have already harvested 10 acres but I face a great challenge of storage since my store is full of last season’s grain,” said Cheruiyot.

He told The Standard he had spent a substantial amount on pesticides to control weevils.

“The Government should be considerate to farmers, open NCPB depots and keep farmers' produce to avoid post-harvest losses. We toil in producing food and it is unfair if left to go to waste,” said Cheruiyot.

Jackson Kwambai, a farmer from Moiben, said he had 200 bags of last season’s crop, adding that like most farmers in the region, he had to keep the current season's harvest in the open for lack of storage.

“We spent heavily on pesticides to prevent losses. There are, however, emerging pests, including one commonly referred to as ‘osama’ that is resistant to pesticides,” said Mr Kwambai.

He said the Government should empower farmers by stopping imports from Mexico, South Africa and America.

Kwambai regretted that the Government sourced the staple food externally, yet local farmers had their produce "rotting".

Three weeks ago

About three weeks ago, local farmers in a memorandum presented to a Senate joint committee on maize crisis, co-chaired by Margaret Kamar (Uasin Gishu) and Moses Wetang'ula (Bungoma) in Eldoret, said producers still held about 500,000 bags each. This is from last year’s harvests.

Projections by the Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) puts expected maize harvests in the current season at 46 million bags each weighing 90kgs.

The State is yet to pay farmers Sh2.1 billion for grain deliveries to National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in last year’s crop.

To thrive

David Sang, another farmer, said legislators should press for policies that would make agribusiness thrive.

“Farmers should be told by authorities the rations to be bought through NCPB at every start of the season. We should know the market dynamics so that we can plan well,” said Sang.

He said delays in paying for maize produce taken by the State would frustrate farmers who relied on the sub-sector to educate their children and to meet other basic needs such as health.