Nandi County has received 10 mobile grain dryers from the National Government to assist farmers in mitigating post-harvest losses.
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said the equipment is significant in realising the government’s vision of improving grain value chains and achieving 100 percent food security
‘Our main mission is to curb post-harvest losses mainly caused by poor storage, inadequate drying facilities and poor weather conditions during harvesting time,’ he said at Mosoriot NCPB during the launch.
The CS noted that each dryer has a capacity to dry 14 tons of maize in two hours adding that it will only cost a farmer Sh 70 to dry a 90kg bag of maize.
Linturi who was accompanied by area governor Stephen Sang and other leaders said despite the crucial role agriculture sector plays in our Country, post-harvest loss management has been a major challenge with an estimated loss of 30 percent of harvested crops
He stated that the government has also put up a Wareh
ouse Receipt System which allows farmers to hold their produce in certified 17 NCPB Deport warehouses across the Country.
The CS said this will ensure accountability and efficiency as the produce can be tested, cleaned, graded and stored with the owners of the commodity receiving a receipt of proof of ownership before sale
‘The Warehouse Receipt System will help our farmers to store their maize safely as they wait for the maize purchase price to be in their favour before selling the same hence avoiding middle men,’ he said
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi (center) accompanied by Nandi Governor Stephen Sang at Mosoriot NCPB during the launch of mobile grain dryers.
Governor Sang thanked the Government for the urgent intervention saying the fertiliser subsidies increased agricultural production thus the grain dryers will go a long way in helping farmers reduce post-harvest losses
‘Farmers should take advantage of the favourable drying prices to dry their maize both fo
r consumption and commercial purposes. The grain dryers are mobile just a phone call away. In 3 hours it can remove moisture from 26 percent to 13 percent,’ he said
The second term governor urged farmers to capitalise on the Warehouse receipt system to secure storage of their maize as they wait for appropriate time to sell when the prices are favourable.
The leaders also inspected the multimillion Milk processing plant located in Kabiyet centre, Mosop Sub County where the CS said the government will deliver coolers and milk dryers to the plant.
Linturi revealed that the government has given New KCC Sh 1 billion to help stabilise milk prices which had dropped to less than Sh 35 per liter. He said the minimum milk price will now be Sh 45 per liter.
The Agriculture CS said the government has stepped in to assist farmers in all sectors so that they can produce more.
Farmers and stakeholder’s present thanked the government for the grain dryers and commitment to support the dairy sector saying it will go a lon
g way to boost food security and make Nandi the country’s bread basket once again
The Nandi Dairy Cooperative factory, one of the largest in the North rift region is expected to process over 200,000 liters of milk per day.
Source: Kenya News Agency
Public enterprises were established to solve developmental challenges and are essential to the national quest to achieve Vision 2030, finance and public enterprises minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, has said.
Speaking at the second Public Enterprises Conference at Gross Barmen on Wednesday, Shiimi emphasised the importance of public enterprises despite challenges of poor performance and governance.
‘As a country, we have created a number of public enterprises to try and solve our developmental problems. As we proceed, we have to continue to reevaluate which one we want to create and which one we have to consolidate.
‘These are institutions that we have created specifically for specific development purposes. You are there to deliver a specific mandate, and you are there to help achieve Vision 2030,’ he said.
Shiimi told the gathering his ministry has been reorganising in an effort to shape the public enterprise sector. He cited the Public Enterprises Governance Act of 2019, which, among others, categorises public
enterprises into different categories.
The 81 public enterprises are grouped into commercial, non-commercial public entities and as funds.
‘We have some of these classifications, and the way they are managed is different. That was done to try and create better governance in public enterprises because I think before, as a shareholder, we were not taking an active role in managing public enterprises,’ the minister said.
The top management of State-owned enterprises is meeting for three days at the tourist resort outside Okahandja to discuss and share best practices on effective performance and strengthening effective governance. The conference is held under the theme; ‘Leveraging value propositions for Namibian public enterprises locally and internationally.’
On his part, the chairperson of the Public Enterprises CEO Forum, Fluksman Samuel, noted that public enterprises ‘still have a significant impact on the economy of our country. Therefore, this conference may serve as a reminder of the enormous responsi
bilities on the shoulders of chief executive officers and managing directors of public enterprises.’
Samuel, who is the CEO of the Lderitz Waterfront, assured Minister Shiimi that the current crop of executives of public enterprises stand ready to support government efforts to improve governance and the overall performance of the sector.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency