By NATION Team 

The National Cereals and Produce Board has relaxed some of its conditions for buying maize from farmers.

Mr Simon Kamau, the NCPB Western Province regional manager, said farmers would no longer be required to open personal bank accounts before being paid for maize deliveries.

Mr Kamau told farmers at Kapsokwony Depot that the board, together with the Kenya Commercial Bank, had organised to have them paid via open cheques.

The board expected to buy more than 20,000 (90kg) bags of maize at the depot, Mr Kamau said, adding that only 1,000 bags had so far been received. The depot last year bought 23,000 maize bags from farmers.

Mr Kamau warned farmers against taking to inspectors samples, which did not represent stock at home.

Mr Martin Eshiwani, the Mt Elgon acting District Commissioner, urged the board to open two more buying centres at Kopsiro and Kaptama, which he said were the leading maize producing divisions in the district.

He added that poor roads and heavy rains had made it difficult for farmers to deliver grain to Kapsokwony Depot.

Middlemen had taken advantage of this to buy grain from farmers at as little as Sh400 per bag, he added.

At the same time, the NCPB took issue with Mosop Member of Parliament John Sambu for alleging that the board and was out to frustrate farmers by rejecting the crop on flimsy grounds.

The board termed the MP's allegations "malicious and with no basis whatsoever".

NCPB spokesman, Mr Kipserem Maritim, said: "Maize purchased by the board is expected to meet quality parameters based on the national standards set by the Kenya Bureau of Standards."