Farmers are shying away from selling maize to the National Cereals and Produce Board due to low prices.
The farmers say they get better prices from traders by between Sh100 and Sh200, which is more than what the NCPB is offering and payment is prompt.
In October last year, the government announced that it will purchase one million bags of maize through the board at Sh4,000 per 90kg bag.
President William Ruto, however, told farmers that they are free to sell their produce at the market price of their choice.
He also urged farmers to utilise drying facilities at various NCPB depots across the country at an affordable drying fee of Sh70 per bag.
As of December, the cereals board had received about 100,000 bags of maize from farmers.
Kipkorir Menjo, the Kenya Farmers Association director, attributed the slow turn out of farmers selling maize to the stringent conditions of the cereals board.
He said that by December last year, traders were buying a bag of maize at between Sh3,800 and Sh3,900.
“Although this is slightly lower than Sh4,000 from the government, it does not come with many conditions and the traders are buying the maize at the farm gate. Most traders also prefer to buy directly from farmers to save on money they would have used to import maize,” he said.
Menjo said that as schools open next week, there is likely to be a rush for selling maize to get fees, and this may affect the market price.
“Currently, the price of maize at the farm gate has increased to about Sh4,100, but this may drop due to a glut in the market. Farmers may rush to the market to dispose of their produce to get money for fees.”
The KFA director, however, said that despite the high cost of production due to fuel prices, the market for maize this season has been free and fair and farmers are not complaining much.
Farmers from the North Rift region have started land preparation for planting of the long rains season crop which will be done by the beginning of March this year.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi last month confirmed that the government will give out seven million bags of fertiliser to farmers for this year's long and short rainy seasons.
He said the ministry concluded the evaluation of tender for the supply of other types of fertilisers for maize and potatoes, promising that by mid-February there will be enough fertiliser for the second planting season.
“We are also working on a mechanism with the county governments to ensure the last mile delivery is achieved through our collaboration whereby we have told the governors to get warehouses and the ministry to provide the technical experts for the dispensation of fertiliser through the e-voucher system."