Read full article by Yogesh Onwong’a @KNA News PC: KNA News
itui sorghum farmers have decried lack of market despite bumper harvest and called for government intervention to set market prices to improve the orphaned crops sector.
Speaking to KNA in Nuu on Thursday, Mwema Musembi, a retired chief in the area said that a group of over 60 sorghum farmers were worried following the bumper harvest amid fears of exploitation from middlemen.
“The rain season has really favoured this region. I planted sorghum on my 28 acre-piece of land. Due to the prolonged rainfall which affected some of the crop, I expect to harvest over 300 bags from my initial estimate of 380 bags,” said Musembi.
The former chief disclosed that sugarcane, dairy and rice farmers have received government support during the recent past with pronouncements on how much they should sell their produce but nothing was forthcoming in favour of farmers of traditional crops.
“We appeal to the government to include farmers growing traditional orphaned crops such as sorghum and millet into their programmes. As farmers, we want to increase our sorghum grain market margin by engaging in collective market action to compete with brokers and rural assemblers,” he said.
Musembi said that drought resistant crops such as sorghum growing is aimed at reducing rural poverty, improve food security and nutrition.
“We are also contributing to the president’s Big 4 Agenda of enabling poor rural women and men to have access to and take advantage of improved agricultural technologies and effective production services of orphaned crops,” he added.
Musembi challenged the county government’s agricultural extension officers to train farmers on on-farm seed production and preservation to improve the quality of recycled seed in a bid to maximize their yields.
