Counties act on Ndengu prices
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| Gov Ngilu, flanked by ICRISAT head of Accelerated Value Chain Development Dr Romano Kiome during the meeting. |
Kitui County Governor Charity Ngilu today chaired a consultative meeting to find solutions to the current green gram glut in the country. The glut has triggered exploitation of farmers in Kitui, Meru, Makueni and Tharaka Nithi Counties.
The meeting was convened by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), where the Governors of the four Counties were invited.
Agriculture ministers from Makueni,Tharaka Nithi and Meru represented their respective governors Kivutha Kibwana, and,Muthomi Njuki and Kiraitu Muriungi.
Governor Ngilu was accompanied by CECM water and Agriculture Emanuel Kisangau and Senior Advisor and head of the Manifesto Implementation Unit Mr Nene Nzyuko.
The leaders resolved to hold farmers and buyers market sensitization programs to be launched in Kitui County on Monday June 25,2018, then head to Makueni County on Thursday next week.
They also resolved to formulate a cross-countg marketing policy to be signed by the four Governors
The policy which will see green grams have a standardised price to avoid fleecing of farmers by buyers.
They agreed to send a Memorandum to World Food Program, seeking an agreement by the UN body to buy green grams from the four counties.
They also discussed the construction of storage facilities to hold the produce in hermitic bags as farmers wait for buyers.
The meeting resolved to engage in Value addition of greening and grading so that the farmers reap huge returns from the crop.
It was agreed that the four Governors will meet with the Defence and Education Cabinet Secretaries for the state departments to buy green grams for school feeding programmes and in police and military training schools.
They resolved to Support the youth to do agribusiness by encouraging them to organise themselves into groups, access money from the National Youth Fund, and venture into the business.
Governor Ngilu called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to support the program, for it will aid in achieving Pilar number one of food security in his big Four Agenda.
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