This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
On October 26, 2018, carrot farmers in Mau Narok, Nakuru county, were seen washing and packaging their produce, only to be exploited by middlemen who export the carrots to Uganda.
The county government has encouraged carrot farmers to join co-operative societies to get better prices for their produce, following complaints from farmers that traders were buying carrots at low prices despite the high cost of production.
George Muthega, a farmer in Subati, said they were selling a 150-kg bag of carrots for Sh1,000 instead of Sh2,000, which would enable them to meet production costs and earn a profit.
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Executive Immaculate Maina attributed the problem to an inefficient supply chain for perishable farm produce, benefiting mostly business people.
According to Ms Maina, there are two cooperative societies in Mau Narok that support the production and sale of carrots, among other farm produce, and she urged the farmers to speak in the same voice to handle the issue.
Carrot farmers in Mau Narok lamented the high cost of farm inputs, citing a recently enacted law that had pushed up the price of pesticides by 16 per cent.
They also complained about not being given subsidised fertilisers supplied by the national government, forcing them to buy the more expensive commodity from Agrovet shops.
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