NCPB will not Buy Maize with Less than 13.5 Percent Moisture

Kenya’s National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has issued a directive to all of its depots across the North-Rift Region not to accept maize that has a moisture content of below 13.5 percent.

This move has led to protests from a number of farmers from the North-Rift and Elgeyo Marakwet regions, who depend on the depots to sell their produce after harvest. The farmers claim to have been asked to take their maize to Moi’s Bridge depot for drying before selling it, which will in turn bring about additional transport cost.

For the board to buy maize from farmers, there are a number of quality measures that are examined first which include the amount of foreign matter, inorganic matter, pest damage, discolored grains and insect infestation, among other things.

Here is a table showing the requirements by NCPB for maize:

Recently, the board disclosed that it was only going to buy maize from farmers who have registered themselves with it. There is a farmers’ register that has been developed across all Counties where farmers have been asked to be registered so as to be able to sell their maize at 3,000 shillings, up from the previous 2,300 shillings.

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