- The CS said the new price will deter brokers from exploiting farmers and expressed optimism that farmers will get better prices for their crops.
- He says the new prices will be announced after the consultations aimed at ensuring farmers and other stakeholders are involved.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
The government is this week expected to announce new maize prices as the NCPB plans to buy 1 million bags of produce from farmers.
Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi said the government is in dialogue with key stakeholders to set the new maize price.
Linturi said the new prices will be announced after the consultations aimed at ensuring farmers and other stakeholders are involved.
He has assured farmers of better prices for their crops this year. The CS made an extensive tour of Kitale and Uasin Gishu to asses farming activities in the region.
The farmers expect a bumper harvest of upto 60 million bags and the government has planned to buy 1 million bags of maize for the strategic grain reserves for a start.
Linturi has asked farmers to be patient until next week when the goverment will release the price for this year's maize.
The CS said the new price will deter brokers from exploiting farmers and expressed optimism that farmers will get better prices for their crops.
"I will announce the prices after the ongoing consultations. We want to lock out brokers from reaping huge profits at the expense of the farmer," said Linturi.
The CS said that the country is expecting a bumper harvest and the government is keen to ensure farmers reap from their hard work.
He was speaking at Kenya Seed Company's Elgon Down in Kitale during a field day.
The CS was with Kenya Seed Managing Director Sammy Chepsiror, Agricultural Development Corporation's Mohammed Bule and Kenya Seed Board of Directors Chairperson Purity Ngirici.
"The time when brokers were allowed to exploit maize farmers is long gone. Middlemen and unscrupulous traders have no place in this sector now," he said.
Linturi said the National Cereals and Produce Board depots are ready to receive maize from farmers with harvesting almost starting in some areas.
"We have also activated our warehouse receipt system to assist farmers in storing their produce," Linturi said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, he said is consulting with the Treasury to avail funds for the purchase of maize from farmers.
"We will buy one million bags to cater for the food strategic reserves and we have placed a request with Treasury to avail money for buying the crop," he said.
"To address post-harvest losses, the government will provide mobile driers to farmers to ensure maize produce is safe for consumption.
"I am concerned that some farmers are drying maize on the roadside but very soon we are going to provide mobile driers to save them from loss by aflatoxin."
He explained that post-harvest losses are a serious threat to food security adding that mechanisms are in place to tackle the problem.
"Our target is to ensure food grown is managed well to check on aflatoxin and other post-harvest dangers," Linturi said.
During an inspection tour to Kenya seed driers and later ADC Semen production centre, Linturi said he was impressed by the activities of the two institutions to promote food security.