Maize Shortage Looms as KEPRA Shoots Fuel Prices

With the continued increase of fuel charges across the country, the farmers from Rift Valley have raised concerns about the suspected increase in the cost of production which will attract massive food insecurity.

According to the farmers, all the factors of production require energy such as diesel which they fear they will not be able to afford in the near future.

“We use diesel in sowing, grinding, transporting; we don’t understand how we will manage the farming this season,” said Fredrick Rono.

According to William Kimosom from Cherengani, farming has taken a different angle leading to an increase in all the factors involved.

“We used to farm with only SH2,500 but today we use SH3,200,” said Kimosom.

“The cost of a 50kg fertilizer pack has also gone up,” he added.

However, the farmers say that the challenges they are currently experiencing begun way back when the government failed to purchase their cereals at fair prices.

This, they say, gave way to weevils and therefore could not be able to market their produce.

The farmers' spokesperson from the Rift Valley, Kipkorir Arap Menjo, confirmed that the country may be in danger of food security if the challenges are not solved.

“Large scale farmers will scale down their farms and the small scale farmers will not be able to farm as they wouldn’t manage to afford the costs involved,” confirmed Kipkorir.

However, the Agriculture PS, Hamadi Boga, said only those who had registered their inputs for the e-voucher will benefit from the fair pricing by the government.

“Farmers registered for the e-voucher will get 40% from the government,” said Boga.