Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago wants the cereals board to buy maize at Sh3,000 a 90-kilogramme bag, up from Sh2,300.
He said cereals farmers in the region had been supplied with poor quality fertiliser, which had resulted in an increase in the cost of production.
“Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett should not accept Sh2,300 this time. He should sit down with National Treasury CS Henry Rotich so that the board buys a bag of maize at Sh3,000. Farmers were also affected by head smut, which we know is seed-borne,” said Mr Mandago.
Last week, farmers in the North Rift region urged the National Cereals and Produce Board to buy maize at Sh3,000 per 90- kilogramme bag.
The board is buying wheat in the South Rift at Sh3,000 per 90-kilogramme bag.
Mr Kipkorir Menjo, a Kenya Farmers Association official, said: “We want the board to also purchase maize at Sh3,000 because farmers have had several problems this year. We want the government to set official prices, which even private millers need to adhere to just like it did for Narok County wheat farmers. We expect nothing short of Sh3,000 per bag.”
He spoke after a farmers’ representatives’ meeting in Eldoret Town.
Mr Thomas Gorgoren, a wheat farmer in the region, said their crop was ready but he feared growers might incur losses due the rains reported in some areas.
“Our crop is almost ready. That is why we are asking the board to open its stores so that we are not exploited by millers and brokers,” said the farmer.
maize is currently retailing at 2850ksh per bag in Nairobi while imported wheat is available at 2900ksh, so for the first time in Kenya’s history the price of the two cereals is almost the same. Now the problem is that bei ya unga ngano/maize will be the same meaning chapo or bread are no longer a luxury coz hata mwenye anapika ugali it’s a luxury too. No wonder NCPB as has decided to sell its maize reserves to the registered millers ONLY at about 20.5bob per kg meaning 1945ksh per 90kg so that the price of unga goes down.
Now my question is why would the government buy maize at 3k per bag and end up selling it at around 2k making a loss of 1000ksh?? Someone please answer me.
Mandago ni yule fala anajifanya MO1?? He can’t fit in his shoes. Hatoshi mboga. Maybe someone should make him sit on that silly fimbo he carries around and STFU.
We need leader ( governors ) who are sober minded ready to adress existing issues wisely if at all e expect positive results not war mongers seeking publicity!
Mandago should look for other ways to help out maize farmers, he could help farmers set up their own milling plants so that they sell flour at better prices, or he could look into the possibility of setting up fertiliser production plants, or maybe farmers need to abandon maize farming.
US sweet corn three cobs ni 20, farmed in US, packaged, and shipped na ni 20bob in supermarkets. Mahindi yetu one cob ni 20bob no packaged not even dried Kwa mama mboga…
The poor man in Kibera and Mathare is subsidising a well to do farmer in Uasin Gishu & Transzoia (maize), Narok (wheat) and Sugarcane farmers in the sugar belt.
If Kenyans were not so stupid as to vote sorely based on tribes, the first issue that would come up during elections would be low food prices for peasants vs subsidies and import protection for local farmers.