• Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo says the government should put in place policies that will bring down costs of production locally.
• Menjo says lower costs would help farmers compete with those in Uganda and Tanzania by pricing their products lower but making profits.
North Rift farmers have asked the government to restrict maize imports from Uganda and Tanzania so that an anticipated good harvest finds a ready market.
Maize production has increased in the last two years, with farmers harvesting more than 40 million bags annually. Agriculture officials estimate a similar quantity this year.
Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo said the government should put in place policies that will bring down costs of production locally.
Menjo said lower costs would help farmers compete with those in Uganda and Tanzania by pricing their products lower but making profits.
"If such a policy is not put in place then open trade with countries like Tanzania will mean more imports and that will hurt our farmers," Menjo said.
Agriculture executives in Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu said most farmers planted higher acreage and the harvest quantities are expected to rise.
The rains delayed and farmers were gripped with fear after a drought destroyed maize that had been planted between March and mid-April. Some of the farmers had to replant but will now benefit from the onset of heavy rains.
Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu and Nandi are the country’s maize breadbasket and slight changes in rainfall patterns affect harvests.
“Although the rains have delayed for about three weeks, we don’t expect the damage to crops to be very extensive although some farmers have been forced to incur double costs by replanting,” said Samwel Yego, the Uasin Gishu Agriculture executive.
Yego said the maize crops in most areas were healthy and would even improve further with the onset of heavy rains. The situation will also favour good production of wheat, beans and other food crops.
In Trans Nzoia, Agriculture executive Mary Nzomo said they were advising farmers on weather conditions and best agricultural practices.
Small-scale farmers complained that they had been unable to plant because of the high prices of input, especially fertiliser. DAP fertiliser used for planting retails at Sh3,000 a 50kg.
Large-scale farmers like Joseph Bore in Uasin Gishu complained that costs of fuel, especially diesel, had been higher at about Sh100 per litre, raising expenditures.
Bore said the government should ensure the costs of farm input remain stable.
Farmers are happy with the quality of fertiliser in the markets after the government streamlined imports. They want the prices brought down to affordable levels.
“I delayed planting because I could not get fertiliser because of high costs in the market,” said Mary Kimani, a farmer from Kesses in Uasin Gishu.
She received free fertiliser through an initiative launched by Kesses MP Swarrup Mishra last week. Mishra is distributing fertiliser, seeds and weed control chemicals to more than 1,000 small-scale farmers.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many small-scale farmers were hard hit and that is why we have to support them so that they are able to grow food crops on their farms and by doing so they will avoid long term food shortages and poverty,” Mishra said.
Trans Nzoia county also supported farmers through the distribution of fertiliser to boost production. Governor Patrick Khaemba has been keen on ensuring increased production of maize and other food crops in the region.
The government stopped imports of maize last year and prices of the commodity have averaged Sh3,000 per 90kg bag.
“With good harvests and good prices of the commodity, both our farmers and consumers end up benefitting from a stable market,” said Thomas Bett, who represents farmers.
There have been fears of possible maize shortage in the next few months, but a survey by counties indicates that many farmers still have substantial stocks in their homes.
Counties estimate that large-scale farmers in the North Rift are still holding more than eight million bags of maize. The stocks can sustain the country ahead of this year's harvesting season.
(edited by o. owino)