Mwea: Rice farmers in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme have urged the Government to fast-track payment of Sh210 million owed to them after they supplied 25,760 bags of rice to the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC). The farmers, through the Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Co-operative Society (MRGM), said the delayed payment was affecting their ability to pay school fees, purchase farm inputs, and meet household expenses.
According to Kenya News Agency, speaking at the MRGM offices in Mwea, Chief Executive Officer Anthony Waweru stated that while the Government’s intervention in the rice marketing crisis was welcome, there is a pressing need for the payment process to be expedited. He noted that farmers had faced significant marketing challenges since January, leading them to seek Government intervention. By the end of June, the Ministry of Agriculture, KNTC, and MRGM had reached an agreement where KNTC would purchase rice held by the society and facilitate payment to farmers.
Waweru detailed the society’s efforts, stating, “We agreed that within three weeks, by July 20, we would have delivered everything that was in the order, and that is what we did. We had to work day and night, and at times we were even processing on Sundays to deliver within the stipulated time.” The society successfully delivered the entire order comprising 25,760 bags of rice, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, valued at Sh210 million.
Despite expectations for payment by July 31, farmers are still awaiting their dues. “Even after consulting KNTC and other Government institutions, we are only being given promises that we are going to be paid,” Waweru lamented. He emphasized the critical timing for farmers who need funds to pay school fees and finance crops already in the fields.
Waweru further elaborated on the predicament, stating, “This is the time when we need to pay our farmers. I have talked to the bank, but they are saying they are unable to clear the cheques. That is a challenge to our farmers, as well as servicing the crop that is already in the field.” He urged the Government to provide KNTC with the necessary funds to enable the corporation to settle the outstanding payment.
MRGM Chairman Ndege Muriuki highlighted the struggles faced by farmers prior to Government intervention. He explained that farmers are now visiting the society’s offices daily seeking payment, while others struggle to raise money for their children’s education and the upcoming planting season. “The farmers are having a hard time preparing for the next planting season. We are asking the Government to use everything it can to help us pay the farmers. We are having a hard time, just like the farmers,” he said.
Rice farmer Francis Ndung’u shared his personal experience, recounting a visit to the MRGM offices in hopes of receiving money, only to leave empty-handed. “I came to the office hoping to get some money for school fees, but I did not get any. We were told that the society had not received the money,” Ndung’u said. The payment delay has made it challenging for farmers to purchase fertiliser and meet basic household needs, with Ndung’u stating, “We do not even know how to buy fertiliser. We do not know how we are going to get food right now.” He added that farmers also require funds to pay for essential services, including irrigation water managed by the National Irrigation Authority (NIA).
