Mango farmers in Makueni County decry exploitation as middlemen pay peanuts for the commodity only to sell the same at huge profits
Lack of a ready market has contributed to the continued exploitation of mango farmers in Makueni County by middlemen, who buy the commodity at low prices, only to sell the same at huge profits elsewhere.
The county’s chief officer for agriculture, Japheth Kiminza, speaking at Kwa Kathoka Agricultural Training Centre, during the launch of Faidika, a project which aims at promoting fruit value chain while ensuring market access to fruit farmers, said the farmers are yet to find a reliable market, even for their high yields this season, hence the need to put an end to exploitation of mango farmers.
Faidika project is backed by USAID, Young Africans Leaders Initiative, and Chyulu Foundation to foster farm level fruit farming productivity and profitability among farmers in the county.)
“Last year the county government managed to buy 6 percent of mangoes from farmers, meaning the remaining 94 percent was bought by middlemen at low prices of Sh8 per piece, while other fruits got rotten in the farms,” he said.
Kiminza emphasised that the government will try and explore new markets, besides enhancing creative innovation and value addition to cushion farmers from incurring more loses, and address the challenge posed by middlemen.
Citing Texas Company, he said that local companies should consider buying spoiled mangoes from Makueni farmers to cushion them from incurring more losses.
Speaking at the same event, a mango specialist at the county George Kimani said, among the measures to be put in place include establishment of Fruit Fly Free Zones in an effort to push up quality of their produce.
“Local mangoes fail to meet the European Union market due to the bad chemicals farmers use, besides the effects of fruit fly and other diseases,” said Kimani. (Courtesy of KNA)
