Maize farmers selling their produce to private millers will be taking home 1,800 shillings for a 90-kilogram bag of maize from the previous 1,600 shillings.
The move came into place after the government announced that NCPB will buy maize at 2,500 shillings for a 90-kilogram bag from farmers.
Maize prices have been a headache since last year as farmers could not come to terms with the low prices that were being offered by both the government and private millers forcing most farmers to store their harvest as they waited for better prices.
“We expect the prices to increase further after the government stated that it will be buying the crop to the advantage of the farmers,” said Kipngetich Mutai of Ineet millers.
ALSO READ: Government’s Negligible Increase of Maize Prices to KSh. 2500 Not Enough for Farmers
According to an order from President Kenyatta, NCPB was to immediately open buying centers and stores within counties and purchase a total of two million bags of maize at an additional 200 shillings to the previous 2,300 shillings that had been given last year.
The farmers had rejected the Sh2,300 per 90-kilogram bag set by the Ministry of Agriculture, terming it as too low to earn any profit.
The board had offered 3,200 shillings per 90-kilogram bag last year but suspended buying the product after it exhausted funds.
The NCPB, at the same time, is expected to release 1.7 million bags of maize at Sh1,600 to private millers