The National Cereals and Produce Board today will open its stores and begin sales of 1.7 million bags of maize to millers to create space to buy the next hrvest.
The board will open more than 15 centres in high-production areas, including Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia and Nandi.
The move follows President Kenyatta’s directive to the board to start buying maize at Sh2,500 per bag from farmers.They had earlier rejected Sh2,300 per bag.
Farmers welcomed the move to open the depots but faulted the decision to allow NCPB to sell maize to millers at Sh1,600 per bag.
“Millers are supposed to be encouraged to buy maize from farmers directly. Offering them at a cheaper price of Sh1,600 means they won’t buy at a higher price from farmers,” Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo said.
The board will saturate the market when it sells maize to millers, he said.
Menjo said the farmers will meet today in Eldoret to discuss maize purchase and supply of subsidised fertilizer by the government.
The planting season is around the corner and the government has not yet purchased fertiliser.
Farmers’ representatives led by Christopher Kolum and Kipkorir Menjo said they were happy with President Kenyatta’s as it would save them from financial problems once NCPB starts the purchase.
“We only request the President to order NCPB to buy more than four million bags of maize and not two million as planned,” Kolum said.
He said farmers had harvested more than 42 million bags last year and the government should buy more so that middlemen do not exploit them.
Menjo said Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia alone had produced more than 10 million bags and farmers would lack a market if the government only takes two million bags.
Payments by the board should also be prompt, he said.
“We have farmers who delivered maize last year and are yet to be paid. They should be given money as soon as possible.”
The board should also consider paying a rebate of Sh500 extra to cater for costs of transport to buying centers, he said.
The farmers want the board to open as many buying centers as possible especially in rural areas to enable them to easily access the buying centers and cut on costs of transport.