The slow process of vetting maize farmers has become worrisome as queues of lorries loaded with the cereal get longer at National Cereals and Produce Board depots.
More than 1,000 lorries and tractors are packed outside depots in Eldoret, Moi’s Bridge, Kitale and other North Rift towns.
“The vetting process is so cumbersome and we foresee a situation where it will take long for the board to take in maize from those already in the queue,” Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo said.
Menjo said the vetting process has complicated matters and farmers have to wait in long queues. It is, however, expected that the process will be hastened after the decentralisation of the vetting process to locations and divisions.
Farmers are required to collect vetting forms from chiefs who allocate the number of bags each farmer can deliver to the board.
Each farmer is supposed to deliver no more than 400 bags.
The board has been directed to buy only two million bags of maize.
“We are going on well and many farmers are meeting the requirements set for delivery so that we avoid a repeat of the situations that caused problems in the past,” NCPB CEO Albin Sang said.
The board has been accused of imposing unnecessary conditions to lock out farmers from selling produce to the parastatal.
Apart from the 400 bags ceiling, farmers, must get clearance from the Strategic Food Reserve Oversight Board in Nairobi.
Regional MPs Caleb Kositany (Soy), Robert Pukose (Endebess), William Kisang (Marakwet West), Sammy Seroney (nominated) and Kangongo Bowen (Marakwet East) want the measures relaxed.
The board also demands a title deed, identity card, KRA pin and a lease agreement as other conditions before it accepts the maize.
“It is frustrating that NCPB has put unreasonable, backward, anti-farming demands to farmers before delivery of their produce. As a matter of fact, most of the maize farmers in North Rift have no title deeds,” Kositany told the press at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday.
Farmers representatives led by Wilson Melly called on Treasury to give NCPB money so that they are paid on delivery. Those who have delivered are yet to be paid.