Pundito, Why Galana is stillborn

[vooke]

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Watched a news item on Galana, and how and Israeli firm has yet to be paid. Then a clip of Mandago wondering whether the government should buy maize from Galana or farmers(RVs). I have always maintained that success of the project would kill thousands of lives in North Rift, and nobody is ready for that. This is why the project will NEVER take off.

I will share the clip later.

[hk]

We're back to Moi days where institutions were collapsing due to ineptitude and corruption. National cereals and produce board is collapsing which will force rift valley maize farmers to sell their produce at market rate not inflated prices set by NCPB. This is a good thing and will be a boon for consumers(the majority of kenyans). Farmers like kipruto arap kirwa (former agriculture minister) and noah wekesa (minister) helped create pampered farmers who can't produce maize at market rate to compete with uganda. Here is another terrible idea being pursued by mainly maize growing areas legislators https://www.nation.co.ke/business/Senate-gives-nod-to-change-of-NCPB-law--/996-4996796-ew68jk/index.html .

[vooke]

We're back to Moi days where institutions were collapsing due to ineptitude and corruption. National cereals and produce board is collapsing which will force rift valley maize farmers to sell their produce at market rate not inflated prices set by NCPB. This is a good thing and will be a boon for consumers(the majority of kenyans). Farmers like kipruto arap kirwa (former agriculture minister) and noah wekesa (minister) helped create pampered farmers who can't produce maize at market rate to compete with uganda. Here is another terrible idea being pursued by mainly maize growing areas legislators https://www.nation.co.ke/business/Senate-gives-nod-to-change-of-NCPB-law--/996-4996796-ew68jk/index.html .

[Kadudu]

Do not celebrate too early. Once these farmers are jobless they will stroll to the cities and the next wakoras are made.
Let us keep them and their kids busy farming with some subsidies otherwise we will have to pay the price.
Btw, how many times since Kibaki's days have coffee farmers had their debts cancelled by the goverment? I did not hear you complaining then.

[hk]

Do not celebrate too early. Once these farmers are jobless they will stroll to the cities and the next wakoras are made.
Let us keep them and their kids busy farming with some subsidies otherwise we will have to pay the price.
Btw, how many times since Kibaki's days have coffee farmers had their debts cancelled by the goverment? I did not hear you complaining then.

If I could expound a little on coffee. The coffee loans that were written off, were loans taken by government from worldbank disbursed through cooperative bank in early 90s to coffee cooperative societies. There was no collateral attached to the loans so the government is one on the hook for it. The funds were mismanaged and didn't reach the farmers. When coffee societies tried to collect the money, farmers simply shifted to other crops. Its the reason why today there's a thriving dairy industry(fresha), macadamia nut farming, avocado etc. 
More importantly coffee prices are determined  by the world market unlike maize (NCPB), So the farmers who don't produce good coffee at the prevailing world market prices have shifted to other things(Coffee and tea prices are determined by auctions that have direct correlation with prevailing prices of those commodities in the world). The same will happen to sugar industries once the COMESA waiver is over.

[RV Pundit]

Very good.maize and sugar which are plentiful and cheaply available in international market don't need protection.Let it collapse and out of will emerge something more profitable for all the parties

[vooke]

Do not celebrate too early. Once these farmers are jobless they will stroll to the cities and the next wakoras are made.
Let us keep them and their kids busy farming with some subsidies otherwise we will have to pay the price.
Btw, how many times since Kibaki's days have coffee farmers had their debts cancelled by the goverment? I did not hear you complaining then.

Coffee earns forex at the very least, and farmers auction their stuff and not force government to buy their inefficiency