NCPB gets Sh1.22 billion to buy maize, other grains

The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has told the Senate that the National Grain Reserve does not have maize at the moment, but the state agency has been facilitated with Sh1.22 billion for use in mopping up maize and other staple crops during the harvest period.

NCPB Managing Director Samuel Ndungu told the Senate Agriculture Committee that they have put aside a budget to purchase at least 4.5 million bags of 50 kg following the harvest, which will be projected as the crop emerges, subject to the prevailing weather.

Ndungu told the committee, chaired by Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli, that the board has set aside a storage capacity of 6.7 million 50 kg bags reserved for grain purchases in the main growing counties, while jute bags for bagging grains at purchase and silos for bulk storage are available.

“To ensure the grains purchased are safe from contamination and within East African Standard, NCPB has installed 10 aflatoxin testing laboratories in Bungoma, Kitale, Eldoret, Moi Bridge, Nakuru, Migori, Narok, Machakos and Meru to support the purchase of quality and safe maize,” said Ndungu.

Wakoli sought to know the interventions to guarantee minimum returns, to ensure timely payments to farmers and protect them from exploitation by intermediaries during peak harvest periods by the National Cereals and Produce Board.

Ndungu said that on the guaranteed minimum returns, the Ministry of Agriculture set the minimum maize purchase price at Sh 3,500 per 90 kg bag of maize, with NCPB opening all depots to intake maize at the set price and that before that, maize prices increased and farmers benefited.

The Managing Director told Senators that early opening of depots for maize intake and timely processing of payment to farmers are primary interventions to protect farmers from exploitation, while another intervention is accurate determination of the weight of the produce a farmer delivers.

“All maize purchasing depots are fully equipped with calibrated weighing scales and weighbridges in the major depots, this is to ensure the farmer receives full value for the crop sold without being manipulated or cheated on weight,” said Ndungu.

Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi sought to know the strategies to stabilise the cereal markets, manage rice volatility and enhance coordination with county governments and relevant stakeholders in the collection, storage and distribution of produce.

Ndungu said that NCPB is a licensed warehouse operator with over 10 warehouses certified by the Warehousing Receipt Council for receiving and managing grains under the Warehousing Receipt System.

 The Managing Director told Senators that the government has heavily supported farmers through the National Fertiliser Subsidy Programme with the objective of increasing production and ensuring the crop is produced at a reasonable cost.

“Key stakeholders, especially the Ministry of Agriculture, have employed appropriate strategies to release stock when market rice for maize flour and maize generally escalate and when possible allow duty-free importation to caution consumers,” said Ndungu.