CS Kagwe, Narok Governor Ntutu broker deal to resolve wheat farmers' dispute

The tense meeting, which lasted for several hours, brought together key stakeholders, including MPs Kitilai Ole Ntutu (Narok South), Rebecca Tonkei (Women Representative), Agnes Pareyio (Narok North), Senator Ledama Ole Kina, Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei, and Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Rono, among others.

Following the discussions, the Ministry of Agriculture committed to procuring over 351,000 bags of wheat from farmers.

"During our deliberations, the Ministry resolved to purchase 351,000 bags of wheat from our farmers," Governor Ole Ntutu stated.

A key resolution from the meeting was the establishment of a Wheat Standing Committee, set to be gazetted soon, to address and resolve challenges facing wheat farmers in Narok and across the country.

CS Kagwe reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting local farmers amid concerns about cartels flooding the market with imports, to the detriment of Kenyan farmers.

Governor Ntutu emphasized the significance of agriculture in Narok’s economy and underscored the need to support farmers facing challenges in the sector.

"Agriculture is one of the seven key pillars of my manifesto. The people of Narok entrusted me with their mandate for major reforms, and I remain committed to delivering on that promise," he affirmed.

The Agriculture Ministry also announced measures to resolve the impasse between wheat farmers and millers. Moving forward, millers will be required to purchase 400,000 unbought bags of wheat before obtaining import licenses. Farmers will receive Ksh. 5,300 per bag for Grade 1 wheat and Ksh. 5,200 for Grade 2 wheat.

Present at the meeting were representatives from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), the Capital Markets Authority, the Cereal Growers Association, and other key stakeholders.

Wheat farmers in Narok County took to the streets on Monday morning to protest and express their frustration over the lack of a market for their crop. The farmers claim that since they started their harvest in August last year, they have not succeeded in selling their wheat.

The farmers had vowed to continue their protest until the Minister of Agriculture, Mutahi Kagwe, stops wheat importation, which they say is distorting the market.