State rules out increase of maize price at NCPB

 

PS for agriculture Dr Paul Rono (C) with Uasin Gishu governor Dr Jonathan Bii (L) 

The government has ruled out increasing maize prices for farmers at the NCPB, where farmers will still be paid Sh4,000 per 90kg bag.

Speaking at the NCPB depot in Eldoret on Friday, Agriculture PS Paul Rono said the current price is the most profitable for farmers.

“That is the best price we are offering, and we know it’s very profitable but farmers have the options of either selling their produce to the NCPB or giving it to other buyers out there who may offer better prices,” he said.

Rono said farmers had so far sold more than 700,000 bags of maize to the NCPB, for which they had been paid more than Sh1.5 billion.

He said those yet to be paid would get their cash before the end of the year.

This season, Rono said farmers were expected to harvest more than 70 million bags of maize, which was the highest ever amount in the country.

“This is mainly because of the supply of subsidised fertiliser by the government and also ensuring that we have high quality seeds,”said Rono, who was with Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii.

He said farmers are still free to sell their produce to the NCPB.

Rono said starting in November, the government will distribute subsidised fertiliser in all parts of the country so that farmers can prepare early for the next planting season.

“We are already in the tendering process for the fertiliser so that we get those who will help in distributing the fertiliser,” Rono said. He assured farmers that the fertiliser to be distributed will be of high quality.

The PS said the government had also distributed 100 driers in the country as part of efforts cut down on the 30 per cent post-harvest losses incurred by fatmers annually.

Rono urged farmers to also embrace crop diversification as part of measures to improve soil fertility and earn more from farming. He said sunflower seeds would be distributed to farmers in 41 counties.

The PS said the farmers will get all farm inputs in the same depots to reduce the costs of looking for the same from different areas.

The government is also helping farmers to engage in smart farming as a response to the effects of climate change. The PS said farmers should mechanise their activities.

He said the government is taking similar measures to support tea and sugarcane farmers.

by MATHEWS NDANYI