Advantage of rice farming5/22/2023 ![]() “Marketing is not our duty, but I will engage relevant stakeholders to try and find a lasting solution,” he said. “As a county government, our key role is to promote agriculture. Paul Omanga, the Kisumu County chief officer for agriculture, admitted that marketing is a big challenge for most farmers. “We are expanding the schemes and more farmers are coming on board, which means more production,” he said. He said the harvest has improved since the government assured the farmers of a ready market. Joel Tanui, the manager for Western Kenya National Irrigation Authority, said Ahero Irrigation Scheme alone is holding rice worth Sh50 million. “If something is not done in time, farmers are likely to lose everything,” he said. ![]() Juma said some traders from Migori County and Uganda have been visiting the area and purchasing paddy at between Sh30 and Sh35 per kilo. “But with the corporation now shutting its doors, the middlemen have raided the area to buy rice at throwaway prices. He said the KNTC had set Sh45 as the price per kilo of paddy. Juma revealed that middlemen are taking advantage of the farmers’ predicament to offer low prices. ![]() This is not the case this season,” he said. “Usually when we harvest in July, by the end of August, farmers have disposed of all their produce and are preparing for the next planting season. Emmanuel Juma, the chairman of the farmers in the scheme said at least 600 tonnes of paddy is at the scheme’s stores in Ahero, and risk rotting due to the increased moisture content.
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