The COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to agricultural-based livelihoods and food security in the Kenya. I am glad to note that various mitigation measures were undertaken by all relevant stakeholders and therefore availability, access and affordability were attained. To further improve on the situationI direct as follows:
- To ensure that our farmers are able to dry and sell their maize with minimal post-harvest losses, I direct that the maize drying charges at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) be reviewed downward by 50%, from the current Ksh 40/- per unit drop to Ksh. 20/.
- The National Government will also make sure that maize driers are made available to all maize growing areas by the coming season. These driers will be community based and therefore will be managed by a group of farmers/cooperatives at community level. This will ensure that farmers are able to store or sell their maize at the appropriate moisture content and thus contribute to enhance farmer incomes.
- Our National Cereals and Produce Board has stores across the Country that are currently not in use. I therefore direct that NCPB avail these stores to farmers’ and farmer groups and traders for storage at an affordable cost. NCPB will therefore be required to review their current storage charges from Ksh. 10/- per bag per month to Ksh. 3/- per bag per month.
- I also direct that the recommended minimum maize selling price by the farmers to be Ksh. 2, 500/- per 90kg bag and require that Ministry enforces these prices.
- The above interventions will therefore mean that the Country will have sufficient maize and therefore there will be no maize imports from outside COMESA/EAC. The millers are therefore directed to ensure that they prioritize mopping up all the maize all maize available locally.
- I also direct that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries Cooperative to engage with input suppliers to ensure that all inputs are available across the Country at affordable prices within one (1) month from this date, before the next planting season.
7. I also note that there are outstanding payments due to the maize farmers. I therefore direct that payments to genuine farmers and traders who supplied maize to NCPB to be concluded by end of this week, Friday, 2nd October, 20
8. I also direct that wheat millers buy all the locally available wheat stocks before importing additional stock from outside the country. I further direct that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, fisheries and cooperatives ensures that this is a conditional precedent to allowing importation.