Eugene Wamalwa releases Sh1.4bn to pay maize farmers
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Mr Wamalwa said the vetting should be completed by this Friday for the payment process to begin.
Maize farmers owed by the government are set to be paid within 21 days effective from next Monday, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has announced.
Mr Wamalwa asked farmers to visit their respective National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots to verify their payment details following his ministry’s release of Sh1.4 billion for deliveries made last year.
The vetting process is set to run until end of the week and seeks to weed out fake farmers.
“Complaints were raised over the payments made to farmers for the 2017/2018 crop season and there were allegations payments had disadvantaged genuine farmers in preference of traders,” said Mr Wamalwa.
The released cash is part of Sh3.5 billion owed to farmers.
“The amount of Sh1.4 billion released as per the budget for the financial year 2018/19 will largely focus on the smallholder farmers first,” said Mr Wamalwa whose ministry manages the Strategic Food Reserve.
ASAL CONFERENCE
The Devolution secretary was speaking on the sidelines of a briefing on the upcoming inaugural Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) conference that will be held from September 5, in Malindi, Kilifi County.
This conference, he said, will be used as a platform for prioritisation and realignment of ASAL development agenda.
“The summit will focus on four broad areas including economic, environment, governance, and socio-cultural issues that are instrumental in unlocking the potential of ASAL development,” Mr Wamalwa said.
Food security, livestock, infrastructure, industrial and enterprise development, will be some of the key thematic areas to be discussed, according to CS Wamalwa.
The conference has been organised by the Devolution ministry in partnership with the Council of Governors (CoG) and other private sector bodies.
The briefing was attended by ASAL PS Micah Pkopus Powon, and Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal, who represented the 29 ASAL counties and the CoG.
