Farming and agricultural matters are expected to dominate the biennial devolution conference to be graced by President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua , as the State moves to boost crop yield and attain food security.
The summit that opens in Eldoret today (August 16, 2023) comes amid a clamour by farmers and leaders in the North Rift region, the country’s breadbasket, demanding favourable maize prices as they prepare to harvest this season’s crop starting next month.
Farmers have appealed to the government to purchase maize above Sh6,000 per 90 kilo bag in a bid to cushion them from the high cost of production.
Kenya National Farmers Federation (Kenaff) Uasin Gishu County chapter chairperson Ruth Kemboi said the cost of production went up due to high prices of fuel and farm inputs.
According to farmers, the high cost of fuel pushed up the cost of production to between Sh3,500 and Sh4,000 per acre.
“We appreciate the government for providing us with subsidised and good fertiliser, but we want to appeal to the State to purchase our produce at Sh6,000 per 90-kilo bag because we had to contend with high fuel costs, agrochemicals and the high cost of living,” she states.
Last season, the Kenya Kwanza government reduced the price of fertiliser from Sh6,500 to Sh3,500 for a 50-kilo bag in a bid to boost food production and lower the cost of living.
While in Nandi County on Saturday, Mr Gachagua said the State will soon announce new maize prices, assuring farmers that they will get a favourable deal.
“Before the President jetted out last week to Mozambique, he told me to work with the Ministry of Agriculture, National Treasury, and National Cereals and Produce Board to mobilise resources and buy maize. Our farmers will be paid within 48 hours upon delivering their produce to lock out middlemen,” he had stated.
Mr Gachagua disclosed that the Head of State is expected to camp in the region for four days to champion the development agenda before heading to South Rift, Mount Kenya East, and Western regions in the coming days. Mr Kipkorir Menjo, a Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) director, called on the government to expedite the allocation of funds to the Strategic Grain Reserve and ensure guaranteed minimum returns as promised by Kenya Kwanza during the campaigns.
“The government should mobilise funds towards the purchase of maize and come up with strategies on how to set up the prices. You cannot talk about the warehouse receipt system because small-scale farmers will not wait for long for prices to improve yet they have pressing needs,” said Mr Menjo.
A section of leaders from the region, led by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, had asked the State to purchase maize from farmers at Sh6,000 per 90-kilo bag to enable them recoup the high cost of production.
Kesses MP Julius Rutto also appealed to the national government to ensure that farmers’ produce this season is bought at a favourable price. Farmers also want the government to introduce measures to help to lower the cost of production in the dairy sector.
The State has rolled out reforms in the dairy sector to stabilise milk prices, even as the cost of animal feeds continues to skyrocket due to lack of adequate raw materials in the local market. The national government has used millions of shillings to modernise State-owned New KCC and urged counties to take up school milk programs to ensure a guaranteed market for farmers.
Recently, Kenaff CEO Mwenda Mwalutha urged the government to establish measures to lower the cost of animal feeds in the dairy sector.
He said that the State should lease idle state farms to farmers to enable them to produce more cheap livestock feed to increase the country's milk production and lower the cost of production.
“We want to urge the government to lease public lands so that we have more feed for livestock. We would also like to see an increase in budgetary allocation in line with the Maputo declaration of 10 per cent. If we can do even six or eight per cent, we will be able to address most challenges that farmers face in the country,” said Dr Mwalutha.
