Gov’t To Purchase 1 Million Bags Of Maize From Local Farmers At Ksh.4K Per Bag
Following a bumper harvest, the Kenyan government has announced plans to purchase 1 million sacks of locally produced maize at an improved price of Ksh.4,000 per 90-kilogram bag.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mithika Linturi stated on Thursday before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries that the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) will be responsible for acquiring maize for the National Strategic Food Reserve.
In addition, Linturi stated that the government has already acquired mobile dryers to assist farmers with the drying of their cereals before government procurement.
Rachel Ruto, the First Lady of Kenya, advocates for an end to gender-based violence.
“The mobile dryers will enable farmers to preserve the quality of their maize and increase their income. This is a significant development, as post-harvest losses have been a major challenge for farmers in the past,” said Linturi.
Linturi further assured the Committee, convened by Senator James Murango of Kirinyaga County, that his ministry is actively addressing the issues surrounding macadamia nut production and marketing to make the subsector more profitable.
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“We are exploring international markets in a bid to ensure our farmers benefit from the macadamia sub-sector. My Ministry is committed to making the country food secure through improved food production and better earnings for all farmers,” added the CS.
Linturi’s announcement comes just days after President William Ruto prohibited millers from importing wheat or maize to defend local farmers and stabilize prices.
The President then announced that the government would allocate Ksh.4 billion to purchase maize from farmers, stating, “We ask our farmers not to sell their produce at a loss.”
To reduce post-harvest losses due to excessive moisture levels from the current Ksh.400 per bag, the Head of State announced that NCPB driers will be used to dry farmers’ maize for a nominal fee of Ksh.50.
“Even if farmers don’t want to sell their maize to NCPB, they will have an opportunity to dry their produce at the State agency and store it,” Ruto said then.
Gov’t To Purchase 1 Million Bags Of Maize From Local Farmers At Ksh.4K Per Bag
