This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
On May 15, 2020, the Daily Nation reported on the need for reforms in the grain sector to boost maize production.
The sector has been chaotic for years, with orchestrated confusion benefiting cartels.
One of the most egregious examples of this chaos was last year, when farmers were turned back from National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots after queuing for hours with their harvest.
These farmers had invested their time, bought seedlings, planted, weeded, harvested, and ferried their maize to the NCPB stores, only to find that shadowy characters had already supplied maize smuggled from Uganda and the depots were full.
This betrayal was a stark reminder of the NCPB's failure to serve its intended purpose: to buy cereals for the national strategic reserve and stabilize the market to encourage farmers and boost food security.
However, the proposed changes to the NCPB aim to plug the loophole through which billions of shillings have been lost.
One of the key reforms is the introduction of a warehouse receipt system, which will enable farmers to delay the sale of their produce until prices are favourable.
This system will reduce the NCPB's direct involvement in the purchasing of farm produce and allow farmers to sell their maize through warehouse cooperatives.
