Imported Wheat Flooding Market

Wheat farmers in the Rift Valley region have nowhere to sell their harvest since millers claim to have more than enough in their stores.

The farmers blame it on imported wheat which has made millers no reject the local wheat and have concentrated on using the imported wheat.

About 250 bags of wheat which was harvested this season has not yet been bought. Many farmers in the region have the cereals in their stores.

Next seasons supply of wheat may be very low since the farmers are thinking of getting alternatives that will replace wheat farming to avoid experiencing losses.

On the side of millers, they have stated that this year’s produce was harvested very early due to the heavy rains that were experienced in the country making the quantity to increase. They added the they are not in positions of buying all the local wheat since they still have more in the stores.

Incase farmers fail to plant the cereal next year, that will mean that the country will face wheat shortage and this will lead to increased prices to the little that will be available.

Millers and wheat farmers have for a long period of time been fighting over the imported wheat. Farmers have even gone ahead to ask the government to ban the importation of wheat until when all the local cereal has been bought.

Last week, 42,000 tonnes of wheat was directly discharged through the conveyor belt according to the import data from the Kenya Ports Authority.

Farmers complain that the buying price for wheat is very low as a report from the Ministry of Agriculture stated that the cost of wheat production in the North Rift to be Sh.3200, yet Unga Ltd was buying the 90Kg bad at Sh.3,050 while Dola bought at Sh.2,800.

Farmers have considered the prices to be very low as compared to the cost used in producing the cereal.

Article by Vera Shawiza.