Editor's Review

Senator Chesang raised the questions during a Senate session on Wednesday. 

Trans Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang on Wednesday, 4 October raised concerns over the distribution of maize dryers to farmers to avert post-harvest losses.  

Speaking during a Senate session, Chesang asked the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries to outline the measures taken by the government to provide maize dryers to support farmers during the harvest season.

Chesang asked the committee to explain whether the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB), will provide driers to farmers on an emergency basis and at government expense.

The UDA senator requested the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Committee to indicate the minimum price of a bag of maize during the harvest season, taking into account the increase in input costs due to global economic changes. 

“The Committee should outline measures put in place by the government to avail maize dryers to support farmers during the harvesting season, particularly in light of the impending El-Nino rains,” Chesange said. 

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Chesang also asked the committee to disclose the number of dryers currently in operation and the NCPB and their distribution across the maize-producing regions. 

File image of Allan Chesang.

At the same time, Trans Nzoia wanted clarity on whether the government had procured new dryers and, if so, the proposed distribution plan and expected timelines for installation.

This comes a month after the Head of the Public Service and Chief of Staff at State House, Felix Koskei, announced that the government would begin repairing NCPB depots and maize dryers across the country in preparation for a bumper maize harvest.

He also mentioned that the government would purchase 70 additional mobile dryers to be used across the country to avoid post-harvest problems.

“We are planning to buy almost 70 new driers to be used across the country because the farmers have worked very hard and we don’t want to have any issues in the post-harvest management,” he stated.

President William Ruto on Wednesday, August 2, said that farmers across the country would no longer go through the hustle of drying their maize and other cereals after the harvest.  

The dryers, according to President Ruto, would be distributed strategically to various National Cereals and Produce Board depots nationwide.