Kalro accuses cartel of selling uncertified wheat seeds

Kalro Njoro Director Immaculate Maina. [PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH]

A State agricultural research firm has accused former employees of conspiring with unscrupulous dealers to sell uncertified wheat seeds.

This follows a raid on a godown in Njoro, Nakuru County, where several 50kg bags of uncertified wheat seeds were recovered last week.

The seeds sold to farmers at Sh3,000 a bag were discovered by detectives at a store alleged to belong to a former Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) researcher at Njoro.

The suspect had sold to undercover detectives from Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) two bags of 50kg of wheat seeds at Sh6,000.

The researcher, who also operates a consultancy firm, was arrested and recorded a statement with police at Njoro Police Station.

Kephis regional manager Daniel Onyango confirmed the arrest.

Kalro Njoro director Immaculate Maina said the bogus dealers had made it impossible for farmers to get certified sees from the research firm.

Connected Dealers

“Our national mandate is to breed, multiply and sell seeds across the country. But unscrupulous well-connected dealers may deny farmers access to high quality seeds unless something is urgently done,” Said Maina.

She said although it was Mau Narok and Njoro period for land preparation, 223 bags of 50kg robin wheat seeds and 149 bags of Kwale seeds remain unsold in their stores.

Seed manager Gerishon Rukwaro said farmers in Narok were yet to start buying the seeds.

The research centre is also expected to produce 400 bags of 90kg Njoro BW11 seeds, 500 bags of 90kg Korongo seeds and over 500 bags of 90kg Eagle seeds by April. The target farmers are those from Njoro and Uasin Gishu zones.

Whereas Kalro sells a 50kg bag of seed variety at Sh3,750, unscrupulous dealers sell a similar quantity of uncertified seeds at Sh3,000.

She said Kenya Seed Company was licensed by the then Kenya Agricultural Research Institute to multiply varieties of wheat seeds and was not aware of any other firm.

Last year, Kalro lost 2,420 bags of seeds after farmers contracted by former management declined to surrender it and instead sold it out secretly.