Farmers Demand a Fresh Probe on Maize Deemed Unfit for Consumption

Farmers have demanded an audit of the maize the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) said was unfit for consumption in October.

The KEBS report stated that 2.1 million bags of maize out of the 3.6 million stored at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) were below the industry standards.

The report was tabled before a Senate Committee where the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Mwangi Kiunjuri, was summoned. During the meeting, KEBS stated that maize stored in silos in 14 counties contained aflatoxin.

Farmers have cast their doubts claiming that it could be another scheme by cartels seeking to empty the cereals cheaply to consumers.

“Maybe this is the government colluding with unscrupulous traders to steal money from farmers. This is why we want to ascertain the true status of the produce stored at NCPB through collaborations with several agricultural value chain players,” said Kipkorir Menjo.

Ken Nyaga, the vice chairman of the United Grain Millers Association acknowledged that the management of his organization will monitor the stored maize and ensure that the bags are tested for aflatoxin and other harmful substances.

“An inter-ministerial committee has been created to conduct a fresh probe of the maize in silos to determine whether the KEBS report was true,” said Kiunjuri during a meeting with other members of the National Assembly’s agriculture committee.

He also added that the deployed team will present the report by Friday to give the government a chance to make a decision on whether dispose of the maize.

This comes barely days after farmers declined the 2,300 shillings produce price offered by the government claiming it is too little compared to the production costs.

“The price is unacceptable, and with the cost of production remaining the same, it would even be better if we retain our maize than selling it to the government,” Ferdinand Wanyonyi, Kwanza MP said.

Nandi Hills MP, Alfred Keter said that farmers have been suffering for the last half a decade and the government has neglected them.

The government’s price of 2,300 shillings, according to Noah Wekesa, the board’s chairman, was arrived at through the scrutiny and the harmonization of the 1,800 shillings current cost of production.