North Rift maize farmers eye good prices as crop harvesting begins
Harvesting season: Workers pack maize after drying at Karara in Trans nzoia County on October 24, 2022. Maize farmers in the county and Uasin Gishu counties have started harvesting the produce.
What you need to know:
- Farmers in the region had to contend with high production costs caused by high fuel and fertiliser prices last season.
- There are fears that Russia’s recent moves in the Black Sea as the war with Ukraine continues could disrupt distribution of agricultural produce.
Maize farmers in the North Rift region are cashing in on favourable prices as harvesting of the crop starts amid scarcity of the grain on the market.
Farm-gate prices have increased in the last weeks, with a 90kg bag retailing for between Sh4,600 and Sh5,000.
"We are really enjoying good prices. There is a shortage of the grain and there is good money. I am considering hoarding some until February in anticipation of an increase in prices," said David Chobet, a maize farmer who planted five acres of the crop, harvesting 30 to 35 bags per acre.
Last season, farmers in the region had to contend with high production costs caused by high fuel and fertiliser prices after the government failed to subsidise the cost of farm inputs.
The Jubilee administration suspended imports of the grain in 2019 in a bid to cushion maize farmers against price fluctuations.
Kipkorir Menjo, the Kenya Farmers Association director, said the scarcity of the grain in the region had resulted in good prices for farmers.
"I want to call upon farmers to retain some grain for household consumption because of the scarcity of the grains in the coming months," he stated.
Ukraine war
There are fears that Russia’s recent moves in the Black Sea as the war with Ukraine continues will disrupt distribution of agricultural produce such as cereals, a situation likely to push up the cost of grains.
Mr Menjo urged the government to revamp the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) so that it can offer credit facilities to farmers, and lower the cost of fuel and farm inputs as a way of reducing production costs.
"We want to ask the State to consider increasing the funds to its revolving kitty to Sh10 billion from the current Sh5 billion to support access to credit for more farmers and enable them to go back to planting," he said.
At a function in Eldoret last month, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua promised that the State would provide fertiliser for Sh2,500 per 50kg bag after lowering the cost to Sh3,500 in September.
He said this was one of the measures taken to increase food production and lower the cost of food and other basic commodities.
