State of the Nation: We regret investing in maize farming
Farmers pack dry maize into bags in Nakuru County on September 23, 2024.
President William Ruto's decision to supply farmers with subsidised fertiliser was a godsend in the fertile fields of the North Rift.
It was as if the heavens had heard their cries and prayers when the skies opened and the rains poured in, leaving their fields bursting with harvests.
They harvested about 19 million bags more than a year ago - from 41 million bags of maize in 2023 to more than 60 million bags this year.
But this blessing is slowly becoming a curse: They are stuck with millions of bags of maize they cannot sell at a profit.
As Dr Ruto unveils his scorecard on Thursday, they are worried that the government has failed to commit to protecting them through a proper pricing policy for their produce.
They regret that the government has left them vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous middlemen.
They have called on President Ruto to state the government's plans to ensure better returns during harvest. They also want the government to allocate more funds to the fertiliser subsidy programme.
“We want the President to tell us his plans to protect us. This year we have sold our maize for as little as Sh2,000 per bag, which is unfortunate. We want better prices after our hard work,” noted Trans Nzoia farmer Peter Kirwa.
Farmers want the government to buy their produce at least Sh4,000 per 90-kilogramme bag.
They further want the government to review the Warehouse Receipt System, where they can store their produce awaiting a better price. They term it unworkable, especially for small-scale farmers.
This comes amid a shift by some farmers in the region from maize to sugarcane farming, citing poor returns from maize farming.
“Some of our people have abandoned maize farming which is a threat to food security. The government must enhance its incentives to lure more farmers to maize farming,” said Trans Nzoia farmer Kennedy Lutukai.
Those in the Perkerra Irrigation Scheme in Baringo County lament the high cost of production that has subjected them to heavy losses.
A section of the farmers who talked to Nation.Africa called on the Ministry of Agriculture to intervene and set a proper ceiling on maize prices to ensure they maximize their profits.
Farmers are also concerned about the 'uncoordinated' distribution of vital farm inputs.
"The government needs to streamline the procurement and distribution process to weed out cartels who have infiltrated the supply chain," said Kipkorir Menjo, a Kenya Farmers Association director.
The greater demand presently is for the government to ensure a steady market for their produce. Others complained about the high cost of production.
Mr Michael Bartonjo, a farmer at the scheme said high taxes have made them to spend more than Sh60,000 on production per acre of maize.
“We want to tell President Ruto that the high taxes have adversely affected maize farmers at the Perkerra Irrigation Scheme, leading them to survive on loans,” said Mr Bartonjo.
He lamented that some of the farmers contracted to plant seed maize also incurred huge losses last year after they were supplied with fake seeds.
“You can imagine a situation where a farmer plants more than 10 acres of seed maize only to end up harvesting nothing because they were given fake seeds. To worsen the situation, most of them take bank loans to till and cultivate their land. How do you expect them to service their loans? Some of them end up sinking into depression,” said the maize farmer.
“We also wonder why maize farmers have to cater for the transport for the delivery of Kenya seed maize from Marigat to Kitale. This is impunity, to say the least,” he added.
By Evans Jaola, Barnabas Bii, Florah Koech, Sammy Lutta and Oscar Kakai
