Trans Nzoia Farmers Reject Ksh.3,500 Maize Price, Demand Fair Deal from Government
Farmers in Trans Nzoia County have expressed strong opposition to the government’s proposal to purchase maize at Ksh.3,500 per 90-kilogram bag, citing significant production costs and insufficient profitability. The farmers, who are gearing up for a major harvest, argue that the proposed price is too low to cover their expenses and are urging the government to increase the budget for maize purchases.
The announcement by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Dr. Andrew Karanja last week outlined the government’s plan, through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), to buy one million bags of maize at the set price to support the national strategic food reserves, which are currently only 30% full.
However, farmers like Jonathan Melly from Trans Nzoia contend that the government’s offer falls short, leaving them at a disadvantage. “Gharama ya kuzalisha gunia moja ya mahindi ni 4,000. Mkulima anatarajia kuuza 5,500 ndio apate faida, lakini sasa hii tunauza 2,800 kwa gunia. Kuchelewa kwa kufunguliwa kwa NCPB kumechangia sana bei ya mahindi kurudi chini, sababu hakuna control. Ma cartels ndio wanafaidika kwa mahindi ya mkulima,” Melly lamented, highlighting the effect of market delays and unregulated pricing that allow middlemen to profit while farmers bear the losses.
The current offer is notably lower than the previous rate of Ksh.4,000, and prices in some regions have dropped even further, reaching as low as Ksh.2,200 to Ksh.2,700 per bag. Farmers and agricultural stakeholders have voiced concerns, questioning the government’s decision to purchase only a limited quantity of maize, despite projections of a bumper harvest exceeding 42 million 90kg bags. Experts caution that the surplus could lead to waste and impact food security if proper measures aren’t taken to stabilize the market.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya emphasized the critical role of the region as Kenya’s “food basket,” urging the national government to fulfill its responsibility by ensuring timely fertilizer distribution and stable grain markets. “Trans Nzoia inajulikana kama food basket. National government iko na majukumu mawili muhimu, kuhakikisha kuwa fertilizer inafika wakati unaofaa na kuhakikisha soko ya nafaka ikue stabilized ili mkulima apate bei inayofaa,” he said.
Despite farmers’ calls for higher prices, Agriculture PS Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh defended the government’s decision, explaining that subsidized fertilizer has reduced production costs significantly. “The farmers are getting better profits and returns. It costs around 1,000 to produce a 90kg bag, and based on that, the government arrived at 3,500 per bag. We also encourage the farmers to sell their produce to other markets,” he stated, noting that farmers are not obligated to sell to the NCPB if they can find better prices elsewhere.
Meanwhile, data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics indicates a slight decline in maize flour prices in October, with the cost of 2-kilogram maize flour dropping by 1.7% and sifted flour by 1.8%. Nevertheless, farmers in Trans Nzoia insist that the current government’s offer does not reflect their production challenges, with Melly remarking, “Sisi kama wakulima, wakati ya kulima tuko na changamoto, wakati wa kupanda tuko na changamoto na wakati wa kuuza pia tuko na changamoto. Sasa wakulima wakifa moyo na hii kusumbuliwa wakati ya kupanda na kuuza wataacha kulima mahindi na hiyo italeta shida sababu hiyo ndio staple food yetu hapa Kenya.”
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Trans Nzoia Farmers Reject Ksh.3,500 Maize Price, Demand Fair Deal from Government
