Published on 09/08/2010
By PETER MUTAI

Maize farmers in Sotik District have been hurt by declining prices as the market is flooded after a bumper harvest. The farmers middlemen had taken advantage to exploit them by buying the produce at throw away prices before selling it at higher prices in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu towns. Mr Josphat Kirui, a farmer said middle-men were buying a 90Kg bag at between Sh700 and Sh900. "The losses are huge because of low prices and we appeal to the Government to intervene by opening NCPB depots in the area so that we can sell our produce at better prices to enable us make ends meet," he said. Last year, NCPB was buying a 90 Kg bag of maize from farmers across the country at between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000. Another farmer, Stephen Koskei who planted 50 acres of maize and managed to harvest about 1,000 bags said it is hard for him to sell the crop owing to low prices.

Good weather conditions

He attributed the bumper harvest to good weather conditions and long rains experienced in the area from the beginning of the year. "If I knew things will be like this, I would have planted maize on a small portion of land," the disgusted farmer said. Sotik District Agricultural Officer Augustine Kenduiywa said farmers in the area recorded a bumper harvest because the Government helped over 3,200 farmers by giving them free farm inputs. Statistics available at the DAO’s office show that farmers harvested over 226,000 bags of dry maize this year compared to last year’s 165,000 bags.