The bad state of NCPB's stores as CS cancels leases to private entities

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri inspects maize grains at the Eldoret National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot. The CS noted that maize farmers will benefit from the buying centres that will be located nearer to them instead of transporting the produce to the depots. He added that there needs to be a discussion with farmers on the best prices for their produce. 12-11-2018. [Kevin Tunoi, Standard]

Despite holding thousands of bags of maize, beans and other cereal produce, some National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores have been neglected and are in a deplorable state, the Saturday Standard has established.

Some of the facilities in Kitale, one of the leading cereals producing regions in the North Rift, carry the image of a long abandoned establishment, while others have leaking roofs, posing a great risk of food contamination.

A source at one of the depots in Trans Nzoia said the stores were last given a facelift more than two decades ago, despite serving as the country’s strategic food reservoirs.

“I have worked here for over 15 years but I have never seen the stores painted or given a facelift. They have been neglected and yet they are stocked with thousands of bags of maize and other produce,” said the source.

Some of the facilities leased out are being used by business people dealing in grains as farmers incur heavy post-harvest losses due to lack of storage facilities. Majority of maize producers are currently staring at heavy losses as they embark on harvesting the current season produce.

The NCPB did not mob up the entire produce last season, leaving out maize farmers, majority of them large-scale producers, with huge stocks in their stores thus lacking space for the latest harvests. The board’s stores in Kitale and Moi’s Bridge have been leased out to grain brokers who buy produce in bulk and store them in anticipation of better prices in the future, a move that has left farmers struggling to prevent their produce from post-harvest losses when the facilities could have stored them.

Investigations revealed that the stores have been under some business people for over two decades, who are using them to stock cheap maize imports from Uganda.

One of the stores in Kitale has been leased out to Asian businessmen who use it as a hardware shop while another is used by the Kenya Seed Company (KSC).

Those who have leased the stores at the depot pay between Sh50,000 and Sh100,000 per month.

A businessman admitted to the Saturday Standard he has been using the stores to keep cheap maize purchased from Uganda.

“The NCPB stores are cheap and strategic for the grains I have been purchasing from Uganda. I don’t know what to do now that we have been ordered to vacate,” said the trader who declined to be named.

At the same time, only one out of three driers at the Kitale NCPB depot is working and a majority of farmers rely on private ones that are more costly.

“I cannot tell why NCPB management has not serviced machines to save farmers form incurring huge costs of drying produce before storing them in their own facilities,” said a junior officer at the depot.

Many farmers in Trans-Nzoia lack storage facilities, a situation that force them to sell their grains at throw-away prices to curb losses.

“Most farmers lack stores to stock their maize and wait for stable prices. We don’t know why the board leased out the stores to private individuals instead of allowing farmers to use them,” said rights activist Kefa Were.

Kenya National Federation of Farmers Secretary General Tom Nyagechaga urged the government to ensure public facilities such as NCPB stores benefit genuine farmers.

“As an organisation, we are not happy with the little attention the government is giving to farmers. The farming community should be given first priority in the use of public facilities such as the NCPB stores,” said Nyagechaga.

Last week, angry farmers confronted Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri and protested against the poor state of the stores.

During an inspection tour to Kitale NCPB, the farmers accused the government of giving them a raw deal and neglecting facilities meant to support their activities.

“You can see for yourself how these stores are in pathetic state, it explains how the government has neglected our farming business,” one farmer told Kiunjuri.

The CS expressed disappointment that the stores were in bad shape and demanded answers from the management.

“When were these stores last painted? They look dilapidated and why?” Kiunjuri asked.

The CS ordered business people using the facilities to vacate immediately to enable farmers deliver this season’s harvests.

Kiunjuri said the lease between the NCPB and the traders had been cancelled and ordered the affected individuals to remove their cereals and merchandise from the stores. “We have cancelled the lease and business people should vacate the stores immediately to enable our farmers use the facilities,” he said.

He directed NCPB officials to ensure the stores are empty and farmers given priority to use them. “Our farmers should not be frustrated because they play a major role in ensuring the country’s food security,” said Kiunjuri.  

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