This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
Published on November 29, 2019, hundreds of rice farmers in the Nyando rice belt are facing a market crisis after a bumper harvest in October.
With over 400,000 bags of rice left unsold due to a price slump, farmers are struggling to find a market for their produce. Several farmers and officials at Ahero and West Kano irrigation schemes have narrated their ordeal to find a market for their rice, with middlemen taking advantage of their vulnerability.
Everline Anyango, a farmer stuck with over 100 bags, said the lack of market has rendered her efforts futile. “We have been hoping to find a market for our products but this is yet to materialise,” she said.
The situation has hampered the efforts of farmers to begin preparations for the next planting season in January. Other rice farmers are now considering switching to other crops and businesses.
John Otieno said the problem of marketing threatens rice farming in the region. “We do not have a market. Bags are now rotting in stores while some farmers are also being exploited by Ugandans who purchase a bag at about Sh30 per kilogramme, which is way too low,” he said.
The National Irrigation Board (NIB) has kicked off a Sh150 million initiative to reclaim land in the Kano plains, targeting to increase rice growing by 3,000 hectares. However, the lack of market remains a major challenge for farmers.
