The government buys 80,000 bags of rice at 600 Million from Mwea society

 The government buys 80,000 bags of rice at 600 Million from Mwea society

The government has bought over 80,000 bags of rice at shs85 from the Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Co-operative Society Ltd (MRGM).

This is from the shs700 million government’s kitty that was given to the Kenya National  Trading corporation to buy rice from the society.

The chairman Ndege Muriuki said that the current stock at the silo’s is for December since that is the harvesting time and that through the president’s directive, all farmers brought their rice at the silos.

The price was very lucrative for farmers since independence adding that was the reason as to why they opted to voluntarily store their paddy rice at the silos.

“The KNTC bought rice but left some bags, we were forced to take a loan so as to first pay farmers” said Ndege.

At the moment the silos are full and we cannot store outside, due to the unpredictable climate in the area, if it rains then the rice will get destroyed by the rains.

Ndege said that farmers had the expectations of prices going up during the next season where Munya said that unless they (farmers) review the prices, the government is not able to buy from them citing competition. ”we expected the prices to be better next season than last years, but we are surprised that we have been told the price has to be reviewed downwards” said Ndege.

This year the society has been able to sell 15,000 bags from the 90,000 bags stocked at the silos.

 “This is because the market is flooded, what we can pay is very little we have been able to sell only 15,000 bags” Ndege added.

The chairman said that the only left option would be that through the agreement the society be selling to KNTC so as to pay farmers on time also to ensure that the crop of the that season is cleared-“we are unable to manage the current crop since there is no money in the farmers pocket” headed.

On his part the agriculture CS Peter Munya said that the government will not be able to buy rice from the society if at all the prices will not be reviewed.

Saa ile tunapea agencies zile ziko serikalini mchele wa Mwea wanasema bei iko juu,wanauliza mbona hii ya mwea iko na sh 85 na kuna ya sh 50 quality kama hiyo tu,nawaambia jaribuni kuwa na mpunga ambao utaweza kuuzwa kwa bei ya chini (when we approach the government agencies that we sell the rice to, they normally complain of high prices and say they get same quality at a cheaper price from other areas-leaving us with the rice)”Said Munya.

He said that the government agencies that receive rice from the ministry have complained of high prices from the Mwea rice-comparing same from other rice growing areas. Munya however urged farmers to consider a grade two product that will compete with that from other areas

 The CS said this will be the last time the government will be buying the rice, the society to also source for other areas where they can send their product.

 

ends..