The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has capped the purchase of maize at 400 bags worth Sh1 million, as the government moves to tame traders and large-scale holders who have been accused of abusing the window at the expense of small-scale farmers.
According to the government, any registered farmer with more than 400 bags of the produce must be cleared by the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR).
The SFR, which is buying two million bags from growers this year, says brokers, traders and middlemen are not eligible to sell their grain to the board.
“The purchase targets smallholder farmers with up to 400 bags of 90kg, brokers, middlemen and traders are not eligible,” says ministry of Agriculture in a statement.
This comes just a year after a serious breach by the management of NCPB in purchasing of the 2017 crop, where traders were allowed to sell their maize to the board.
This locked out genuine farmers as the stores were filled before they could deliver.
The laxity saw top officials of the board dismissed and charged in court for not taming the mess at the grain agency.