Azimio la Umoja Coalition leader, Raila Odinga has dismissed Kenya Kwanza’s intervention aimed at reducing the high cost of unga (maize flour).
Raila Odinga addressed the press on Friday 15 September, explaining that President William Ruto’s intervention in the agricultural sector is ambiguous. He further mentioned that the intervention would yield no impact in dealing with the high cost of unga.
In addition to that, he asked Kenyans to prepare for the rising cost of unga (maize flour) despite the predicted maize number harvest.
“As long as the government has not resolved the price of food and fuel, the cost of living will not come down. No amount of fertilizer will lower the cost of food as long as the cost of fuel remains unchecked,” he said.
Effects of High Fuel Costs on Farmers
According to Raila, if the Kenya Kwanza administration wanted to deal with the high cost of living, they ought to have lowered the cost of fuel. He mentioned that the farmers use fuel to power their tractors, harvesters and other machinery. These machines are essential for the ploughing, planting, and harvesting of crops.
Furthermore, he explained that the higher the cost of fuel, the higher the cost of production. If the cost of production goes higher, then farmers increase the cost of their yields so that they too can make a profit from it. The farmers would not want to miss out on making a profit because the high cost of living doesn’t allow them to do so.
In addition to that, Raila mentioned that the farmers may have reduced the amount of land they cultivated or the number of crops planted. This is due to the cost of production being too high. Consequently, the yields would not be as high as predicted and the prices would still be the same.
“Diesel is one of the highest costs of farming. Even if you give the citizen a bag of fertilizer but make it impossible for her or him to plough an acre of land, you have not solved the problem,” Raila claimed.
He further commented on the increasing cost of fuel announced recently. He mentioned that the increased cost of fuel would further lead to inflation. This inflation would then result in an increased cost of living despite the predicted harvest.
“With the shilling tanking, the grains like maize, wheat and rice that we import have increased by 25 per cent. The economy has suffered another grand betrayal of the dreams and aspirations of our country and has unfolded silently in other sectors.,” Raila stated.
Raila stated that the high cost of fuel is a major challenge for maize farmers. Consequently, it would determine whether the price of their yields remain constant, decrease, or increase. He mentioned that fuel prices are one of the factors contributing to the recent rise in maize prices.
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