North Rift Farmers Want NCPB To Buy Their Maize At Sh 1,700 Per 50kg Bag
A section of farmers from the Northrift now wants the National Cereals and Produce Board to buy maize from at Sh 1700 per 50Kg bag of maize
Led by the Kenya Farmers Association Director Kipkorir Arap Menjo they said the Sh 1,305 that is being offered by NCPB is a drop in the ocean and cannot be compared to the cost of production.
“As farmers from the Northrift, we are disappointed with the prices that have been set by NCPB and we say in one voice that we will not sell our maize with such a throwaway price,” said Kipkorir Arap Menjo.
They called on farmers not to take their maize to NCPB until the government gives them a better price.
“What we want from the government is nothing less than Sh 1700 per 50 Kg bag of maize failure to which we will not deliver our maize to NCPB. Why are maize farmers always neglected? We also want the government to buy 2million bags of maize in the North rift region., “David Kiprono Kiberenge Chairman cooperative movement Northrift added.
They also called on the government to subsidize farm inputs saying the current prices will make farmers shy away from farming.
“We we are talking the price of DAP is over 5,000, the government should intervene and ensure that the prices are subsidized for farmers to afford,” Menjo added.
Moiben Member of parliament Silas Tiren who was also present called on the NCPB to consider the cost of production before setting maize buying prices.
“We want NCPB to at least buy maize from farmers at Sh 1,700 this will at least be commensurate with their cost of production. As I am talking the cost of production for a 50Kg bag is not less than 1700,” said the Moiben Member of parliament.
The farmers called on president Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene for Sanity to prevail.
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