Farmers want 'favourable' law after MPs shoot down 'Ndengu' bill

Nyamai Muithya, a ndengu farmer in Maliku village in Kitui county. [File, Standard]

Green grams farmers in Tharaka Nithi and Meru counties have lauded the National Assembly for shooting down the Mung (Ndengu) Bill (2022) and are now pushing for a favourable law.

The farmers have now placed their hopes in a joint committee of the National Assembly and Senate to come up with a favourable law to empower them.

The Bill sought to regulate the production, processing and marketing of the mung beans, known locally as ndengu.

It also proposed to have the growers registered in all counties by Executive Committee Members in charge of Agriculture.

In semi arid regions such as Tharaka and northern Meru, farmers grow the crop but have over the years lamented over poor prices and lack of support to increase production.

The farmers said that brokers have been dictating prices for years. Farmers now hope the government will put in place measures to eliminate the middlemen.

"We have been held hostage by the ruthless brokers who do not give us our dues. They determine the prices and we cannot resist them, because they are our only buyers," said Stanley Mugendi, a farmer at Kajuki.

Mugendi welcomed the rejection of the Bill.

"It is my view that the government only wants to have us registered to plan how to collect taxes from us. Yet what we need is more water to increase production, and better markets. But the biggest impediment we want eliminated are the brokers, because they have killed our hopes," he said.

Another farmer, Grace Mbuba said Tharaka Nithi is one of the biggest producers of ndengu but lack of empowerment had forced farmers to abandon the crop.

"The cost of production is a major source of frustration for us. If you ask me I would wish a kilo of ndengu should not go for less than Sh200. That will ensure we break even and get something to educate and feed our children," she said.

"We are very happy it was rejected by the MPs. Because it was initiated without the input of the farmers, as the law dictates. The farmers had a right to express their view on how the production and marketing of the ndengu (green gram) should be done, but the farmers were not adequately consulted," Dennis Nthiga said.

Nthiga said the lawmakers who came out to oppose the proposed law, including Tharaka MP George Murugara, had respected the voters wishes.

He hopes that a mediation committee comprising MPs and senators which is expected to look into the contentious issues in the Bill will consider the interest of the farmers.

Nthiga urged the committee to come up with better legislation to promote production and marketing of the crop, to enable farmers get good returns for their hard work.

"I am also appealing to the government to supply us with adequate seeds for us to produce the ndengu in Tharaka Nithi. We have prepared our farms and are just waiting for the seeds for us to plant," he said.

Area catechist-cum farmer Stanley Majau said: "Our biggest problem is that the middlemen are exploiting farmers. The cost of inputs such as pesticides is too high, and we also have unscrupulous brokers who fleece farmers."

He said the brokers were earning more than farmers, yet it is the latter who were toiling in the farms.

"We are at the mercy of the brokers. We are not earning profit and we are appealing to the county and national governments to look for markets for us," he said.

Beatrice Kambura, said their farmers group was at the mercy of brokers who buy the produce at low prices.

"We are beseeching the two governments to intervene for us. The ndengu we are producing is not helping us, hence our plea to the government to provide markets for us, to eliminate brokers," she said.

Kambura urged the government to empower the ndengu farmers just like coffee, tea and dairy farmers.

MP Murugara said: "The way forward is the mediation committee of the two Houses. Each House will give an equal number. If the committee cannot agree, the Bill fails. If they agree, the Houses will adopt the report."