Narok maize farmers want price of maize seeds subsidised

NAROK, KENYA: Maize farmers in Narok West sub-county in Narok County want the government to subsidize the price of maize seeds and deliver fertilizers to enable farmers fight the deadly Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND) that affected their production last year.

The farmers led by Olala Farmers Association Chairman Kiplang'at Kosgei said last year many farmers incurred losses worth millions of shillings as a result of late planting an issue he says could be avoided.

"Due to the high cost of maize seeds, many farmers take time sourcing for money to buy them and at the same time delay by the government to avail fertilisers in time leads to delayed planting which exposes the crop to MLND," said Kosgei.

The farmer representative suggested that the prices of the maize seeds be reduced from the current Sh360 per 2Kilogram bag to below Sh300 to make it affordable to many farmers who are small-scale.