- The farmers have been demanding not less than Sh3,400 per bag.
- Joseph Kimote, who is the NCPB managing director, said payment for maize is done within 24 hours upon delivery.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
Maize prices have again gone up in several parts of Rift Valley and Western.
This comes days after the National Cereals and Produce Board announced it has raised its purchase price to Sh3,000 per 90kg bag from Sh2,700.
Farmers welcomed the move by NCPB, and are expected to reap better profits after middlemen responded with an offer of about Sh3,200 per 90kg bag.
The farmers have been demanding not less than Sh3,400 per bag, and with the shortage of the commodity in the markets the prices are expected to go even higher.
Joseph Kimote, who is the NCPB managing director, said payment for maize is done within 24 hours upon delivery.
He said the board is purchasing the maize for its commercial function, and that all farmers who are currently harvesting or have already harvested are encouraged to deliver their grain to the nearest NCPB depots.
“The price of Sh3,000 we are offering will enable farmers get value for the maize they deliver due to the accuracy of our weighing services," Kimote said.
About a month ago the price was about Sh2,000 per 90kg bag in the region.
“The price has been increasing gradually due to a rising demand for maize, especially in Uganda and Southern Sudan where there has been a shortage,"Kipkorir Menjo, who is the Kenya Farmers Association director, said.
"The shortage has been caused by drought in the region.”
The middlemen flooded the region to buy the produce from farmers who are also expected to start delivering to the NCPB depots after the board increased prices.
A spot check at the depots in Eldoret, Moi’s Bridge and Kitale indicates that there have been very few deliveries since the board opened the depots a month ago.
“The prices are higher in the open markets and most farmers will not sell to anyone who is offering lower prices," Menjo said.
He said they anticipate the prices will be even higher as from next month because there were no imports of the commodity from neighbouring countries.
NCPB increased maize prices in a bid to attract farmers to deliver their produce at the price that was announced two days ago.
The farmers had rejected the prices offered by the board, arguing that it’s too low for them to make any profits.
“We want CS Munya to visit this region so that we discus with him the issue of maize prices, subsidies and other matters causing production of maize to drop, ”Kibet Maiyo, a farmers representative from Trans Nzoia, said.
The board initially planned to buy 500,000 bags of the 50kg.
Kimote said that NCPB was using its own commercial funding, not money from the government, to buy maize.
There have complaints from counties that maize production was reducing every year because of challenges experienced by farmers, especially poor prices and lack of markets.
Kolum said they wanted better prices because the costs of farm inputs also remain high causing many farmers to reduce the acreage under maize produce every year.
(edited by Amol Awuor)