4 February 2005
Nairobi — Maize farmers in Kuria district are stranded with their crop because the local National Cereals and Produce Board is full.
They are now forced to sell their maize to traders from the neighbouring districts of Migori and Trans Mara at throwaway prices. Traders from Tanzania are also buying the cereal, paying as little as Sh800 per 90kg bag.
A farmer, Samson Chacha, told Nation that they were being exploited by the traders, and appealed to the government to relocate part of the maize stored at the Kehancha depot to other stores outside the district, so as to create space for their cereal.
But local transporters aggravated the situation after refusing requests by the board to help them transfer some of the bags to Bondo and Kisumu depots, which are said to be half empty.
The transporters had dismissed the money offered by the board as too liitle to cater for their expenses.
The manager in charge of Nyanza and Western region, Joseph Talam, said they were looking at ways of resolving the problem.
He said some growers in the area were owed Sh8 million in delivery arrears. But he assured them that they would be paid their dues once the Treasury released the money.
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