NCPB unveils system to keep rogue cartels out

Related imageThe National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) will apply a quota system in purchasing two million bags of maize worth Sh5 billion from farmers to ensure equity.

Acting managing director Albin Sang said 12 counties that traditionally produce surplus maize would be offered priority and their allocations would be based on the production.

They include Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru and West Pokot, Migori and Kakamega.

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“Strategic Food Reserve is only buying two million bags. Therefore, there is need to have allocation per county to benefit all the growing zones,” said Mr Sang in an interview on a local TV station Monday.

He added that the board would be open to buying a small share of maize from other regions.

“If other counties say they have maize that they want to sell to the NCPB, then we can see how to reduce the allocation for other regions,” he said.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta increased the price at which the government will buy maize from farmers by Sh200 a bag to Sh2,500. Farmers had protested over the Sh2,300 price.

The government has also reduced the amount of maize it will buy to two million bags, down from 2.5 million announced in November.

Kenya had a bumper harvest with production hitting 46 million bags, meaning the State is only buying 4.3 per cent of the produce.

Mr Sang also said small-scale farmers would be allocated a quota to ensure that large-scale holders do not dominate the exercise.

To prevent the repeat of what happened last year when unscrupulous traders and ghost farmers sold maize to the NCPB, he said they are conducting due diligence on the list of growers to ensure that only genuine producers will benefit.

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