Pain of a bounty harvest

By John Oyuke

Kenya’s food supply chain has been rickety for more than two years, with the spillage poised to make this year a tougher one.

Thus questions are lingering on why food supply is erratic yet farmers in some parts of the country have abundant harvests, even as millions of Kenyans face starvation. At the heart of the sorry-state of the country’s food level is the lack of goodwill from the Government to boost production of basic crops such as maize.

So desperate has been the situation that farmers have now opted for cheaper options such as the sub-standard seeds. This has led to reduced yields. But more straining to farmers is the lack of ready market for their harvest.

Even with the usual political gimmick by National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) that farm produce would be bought at competitive prices, its pricing and capacity has perennially fallen below expectations. Usually, the board is not ready to buy maize from farmers during harvesting seasons, exposing them (farmers) to profit-hungry traders.

"It is discouraging that poor farmers, not only in Kenya but generally in Africa, sell their produce to middlemen despite investing heavily in farming. Indeed, time is nigh that Governments step in and rescue them by offering competitive pricing for their products. Harvests would also be doubled if well planned extension services are offered to farmers," said Mahesh Patel, the chairman of Export Trading Group, a global grain buying firm.

Today, there is a unanimous fear on the country’s food outlook. This has been brought about by what farmers claim is the "unwillingness" of the Government to buy local produce. "It is now focusing on importing maize into the country at a time we have huge stocks of maize lying idle in our warehouses," said John Koross, a large-scale maize farmer in Eldoret.

LOCAL PURCHASES

Experts say food stocks available in North Rift and Western could feed the country for the next six months. "But due to corruption in the Government, it is unlikely that it would buy locally. They want to import so that they can get sidekicks," said Koross.

Now, the Government has moved to quell growing disquiet among farmers over claims it is preparing to import 67,000 tonnes of maize. The Agriculture ministry says the Government has no plans to import maize saying the food security situation is expected to remain stable for the next six months, with prices of most food commodities remaining stable.

"We have enough maize. North Rift farmers are selling to the Government, while in parts of Eastern harvesting is going on," said Assistant minister Gideon Ndambuki.

The food security situation report for the year paints a favourable picture for the country’s food security situation in the coming months, after the country experienced its worst famine in decades last year, which saw millions of people starve.

"Prices of main food commodities such as maize, rice, millet, sorghum and potatoes are likely to remain stable in the coming months if the current supply levels are maintained," it said.

The current stocks are expected to last up to June with a surplus of about 7,354,275 bags of maize. The maize stocks are expected to be boosted by about 8,918,845 bags expected from the short rains. The report cautions that wheat prices are expected to remain high owing to reduced production from the major production areas a adding that out of the targeted 129,305 hectares of long rains crop, 111,000 hectares has been achieved.

Erratic rains in most wheat growing zones and crop failure in many regions. Failure of long rains wheat in Narok County, in particular, which contributes about 40 per cent of the country’s production, severely affected output of long rains crop last year.

Hence out of the target 5.69 million bags, only 2.18 million bags have been achieved for the long rain season crop.

However, more harvesting of late planted crop is expected to boost the overall long rains production figure. About 10,720 hectares of wheat have been planted for the short rains.

The ministry points out that an increase in prices of vegetables may also be triggered by any dry spell, which might be experienced in coming months.

According to the food security report, as at December 31 last year, maize stocks in the country increased to 18,709,606 bags from 16,584,626 bags in the previous month.

GOOD HARVESTS

Stocks held by farmers stood at 13,577,189 bags, traders 2,316,561 bags, millers 514,154 bags and NCPB 2,301,702 bags with the increase in stocks at various levels attributed to additional stocks from long rains harvests in North Rift, and short rains harvests from Western region and Nyanza.

About 90 percent of the long rains crop in Rift Valley has been harvested while harvesting of short rains crop is ongoing in Nyanza and Western province.

Maize stocks are expected to increase in the coming months when harvesting of short rains crop starts in counties within Eastern, Coast and Central provinces.

As for beans stocks, the national beans stocks stood at 1,724,520 million bags as at December 31 last year. Beans stocks are however currently reducing due to the continued consumption of the long rains crop. Stocks are expected to rise from this month when harvesting of the short rains crop starts leading to good beans harvest in the country.

Ndambuki said last week that NCPB is buying a 90kg bag of maize at Sh3,000 under the warehouse receipt system to assist farmers avoid exploitation as well as provide safe storage as they await suitable prices for their maize and to enable farmers recover money spent during the planting season of the current crop.

"National Cereals and Produce Board was given about Sh1 billion. That is why they have managed to get 600,000 bags. They get money as to when they require basis. NCPB on behalf of Government will continue buying a 90kg bag of maize at Sh3,000," he said.

PS Romano Kiome refuted claims from farmers in the North Rift that NCPB had stopped buying maize from them, thus affecting the Strategic Grain Reserves (SGR).

"We have 2.6 million bags of grains in the SGR. We could be able to get up to about four million bags that could serve us up to three months in case of famine. Money is being provided for (to NCPB) by Treasury as is when it becomes available," said Kiome.