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The Nairobian

Heavy rains, poor roads disrupt maize harvesting in Trans-Nzoia

Crop

By Obare Osinde | Sep 23, 2020

Heavy rains and poor roads have hampered maize harvesting in Trans-Nzoia amid fear that farmers may incur huge losses.

The season’s crop is ready for harvest but ongoing rains have stopped farmers from removing the maize from the fields.

Local roads are impassable after the county government was unable to fix them due to lack of funds.

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Local farmers said the rains are giving them sleepless nights with possible fear of the crop rotting while still on the farms.

Kenya National Federation of Farmers chairman William Kimosong said the rains have caused panic among local farmers.

Kimosong told The Standard that most farmers had kicked off harvest but the rains have slowed the activity.

‘’Most of the farmers had started to harvest their crop but the rains have disrupted the activity and they are worried that they may incur huge losses,’’ said Kimosong.

The wet condition, farmers argued, will result in the rotting of the crop on the farms.

‘’It is unfortunate that the rains started when we had just begun to remove the crop from the fields,’’ said Evans Ngeiywa, a farmer in Cherangany.

The farmers also complained of deplorable roads in the county which has made transportation impossible.

‘’Most of the roads are in bad condition. It is a big challenge to transport the produce from the farms,’’ added Ngeiywa.

Some lorries ferrying farm produce from areas in Endebess, Kwanza and Saboti to Kitale are stuck on the road.

Trans-Nzoia Deputy Governor Dr Stanley Tarus admitted that lack of funds is to blame for the bad state of the local roads.

‘’We didn’t have funds to repair the road following the stalemate at the Senate and it is true most of the road are impassable and it is a big challenge for farmers to transport their produce,’’ said Tarus.