Isn’t life really UNFAIR at times?

Media reports have in recent days indicated that rice farmers in areas such as Mwea in Kirinyaaga County are facing a rice harvest glut for various reasons.
Evidently, irrigation channels water has been adequate and the climate has generally been good and God almighty has also favoured the farmers.

Farmers’ voices captured on various radio & TV stations have said that they (the farmers) are currently storing rice in sitting rooms and even creating extra spaces in bedrooms after most of their rice home stores are full.

Farmers say that they are lacking buyers with milled rice taking days to get buyers after the due drying processes in the sun.
The few customers visiting the area to buy the produce are offering below market prices which the farmers affirm will not meet even the break even price levels.

The farmers have a feeling that excessive duty-free imported rice has presented very unfair competition.
They are crying for government recognition and support similar to the support afforded to sugar, coffee and tea farmers.
Yet, rice farmers and millers leaders should perhaps think of adding more value to the rice.
They should ponder the possibilities of processing the rice into products such as Rice cakes or even rice breads among other products and also promote more rice consumption within the country.
For instance, farmers must reflect and reconsider the quite high prices of whole (brown rice) as opposed to the refined (white) rice. The high prices of brown rice seem to discourage consumption of that particular product.
This is despite the fact that nutritionists always advise and lobby for consumption of whole brown rice for better health.
The economic benefits (including the use of the processed rice husks) of processing the rice must also be assessed versus the real benefits of ‘white’ rice.

Meanwhile, organic means of preserving the rice must be considered and harnessed as opposed to preservation through chemical preservatives that have been blamed for poisoning consumers and exposing them to serious health risks.
But even as the rice glut presents a headache to farmers, other reports have indicated that serious maize crop harvest drop has been noted in some of Kenya’s major maize crop production areas (popularly called ‘grain buskets’ areas).

It is therefore incumbent upon the bodies responsible for buying the rice and properly storing it in proper silos to act urgently and hopefully forestall food (&  cereals /grain) shortages in the country. .