Brace yourselves for bumper harvest, Gov’t tells maize farmers

A section of Kenya Kwanza Cabinet Secretaries have reassured Kenyans that the country will this year enjoy a bountiful maize harvest following steps taken by the President William Ruto-led government.

Speaking on ‘The Big Conversation’ joint production by Royal Media Services on Wednesday night, Health CS Wafula Nakhumicha reaffirmed that some farmers across the country are already enjoying plump harvests.

CS Nakhumicha, who insisted that she is also a maize farmer, said that at her home in Trans Nzoia County, a two-kilogram tin of maize is currently retailing at between Ksh.70 and Ksh.90, adding that it would then cost one about Ksh.10 to mill it into unga/flour.

While comparing the past year which was marked by severe drought in many parts of the country, the CS attributed the impending bumper harvest this year to heavy rains and the government’s provision of subsidized fertilizers.

“I come from Trans Nzoia and a gorogoro (two kilogram) of maize is retailing at between Ksh.70 and Ksh.90. If you take it to the posho mill, you spend Ksh.10 to make it into 2 kgs of unga at Ksh.100,” she said.

“I am a farmer and I have farmed and I can tell you for sure that this year I will have a bumper harvest compared to last year. I want to confirm from the majority of farmers in Trans Nzoia, mbolea imeshuka and God is good we had sufficient rains …the two have made it possible for a good harvest.”

Her Lands counterpart Zachariah Njeru, on his part, chimed in to reiterate that the government’s plans for farmers were timely, hence they should brace themselves for huge harvests.

“The low fertilizer prices made many people indulge in farming. Many had quit farming because of these factors. Mpangilio wa serikali ulikua sambamba na Mungu pia ametubariki,” he noted.

Despite a section of Kenyans on the platform contradicting the ministers’ opinions and lamenting about the high cost and increased food prices, Cooperatives and MSMEs CS Simon Chelugui noted that this year, about 5 million farmers had participated in maize production.

“At the onset, the government identified the maize challenge facing many Kenyans and therefore the intervention was not subsidising consumption but subsidizing production. Today we have 5 million farmers who are engaged in the production of maize and other products,” Chelugui said.

The National Assembly’s  Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair Ndindi Nyoro similarly projected a better harvest in Kenya Kwanza’s first year in power, saying that the majority of farmers countrywide were already anticipating good yields.

“I am very proud that through deliberate policies we were able to attack the issue of the cost of living on the side of production. Kenya consumes around 46 million bags of maize and we often produce about 40 million bags. Every year we have had a deficit of about 6 million bags to 10 million bags,” noted the Kiharu MP.

“This year, out of the deliberate decision of incentivizing production, we are anticipating 60 million bags of maize in one season, not one year.”

He added: “A segment of the majority of farmers are very happy because if you look at the margins they are going to enjoy around the productions of various commodities is very different.”