This archive report was first published on 7 January 2020.
January 7, 2020, marked a day of concern for Kenyan farmers as Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny addressed the media at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, alleging a plot to import maize from March under the pretext of a shortage.
According to Kutuny, the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is holding on to approximately Sh9 billion in proceeds from the sale of maize in 2018. He called on the board to purchase maize at Sh3,500 per 90kg bag, a price that is currently higher than the Sh3,200 farmers are selling to millers.
Recently, the North Rift Economic Bloc (Noreb) warned against exploitation of farmers by brokers who are purchasing maize through agents. The bloc's chairman, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, cautioned against taking advantage of desperate farmers by setting low prices for the grain.
As farmers expressed fears of maize importation, a source at NCPB revealed that they were still waiting for a directive from the Agriculture ministry before they could begin buying the maize.
Yesterday, farmers from Nandi and Uasin Gishu reported that the price of a 90kg bag of maize had plummeted to Sh2,000, with traders cashing in on farmers who were offloading their produce to get money ahead of schools' reopening.
