Kenyans said to demand ‘pound of flesh’ from local farmers

Staff Reporter

Business people from the immediate neighboring countries, are alleged to have ‘patented’ all onion farms in Mang’ola Ward of Karatu District.

Mostly Kenyans, are reported to use ‘shylock’ approach (ruthless creditors) in funding all the onion farming process, through paying for seedlings, farm inputs and labor services on behalf of local peasants under mutual agreements with the growers that the latter should refund the farming costs after harvests.

“As a result, most local growers are taken prisoners by the shylocks who prevent them from selling their onions elsewhere except to the creditors  and at the latter’s set prices,” lamented Mr Willy Jordan a crop dealer in Karatu.

 When together with other buyers go to Mang’ola to buy onions from farmers they are told  that the crops have already been ‘bought’ by Kenyans while still on farms.

The Karatu District Commissioner, Mr Mathew Sedeyoka admitted to have heard of such cases but pointed out that individual agreement between farmers and their customers, especially when  done without written documents, are hard to deal with.

The DC said Mang’ola was an Oasis of onion growing in East and Central Africa; “In fact I think it is the only place on the African continent that produces large volumes of onions of the highest quality,” he said.

Responding to the concerns while in Arusha recently, the director of crop development in the Ministry of Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Geoffrey Kirenga said the issue had two faces.

“On the positive side it just goes to show that there is major potential in the horticulture sector under which Mang’ola’s onion growing industry falls,” he said.

“But on the other hand it is a challenge for us to start educating  our farmers on how they can added value on their crops through local processing and the government is ready to help them establish processing factories,” he said.

Still some farmers in Mang’ola think they benefit from the so-called invasion because their onions are now fetching better prices. ‘First grade’ sack of onions which was selling between Tsh 60,000 and 70,000 during their dealings with local buyers is now being sold to Kenyans at Tsh 80,000

A few months ago the Chairman of the Kilombero Market Traders Association in Arusha Mr Spear Francis had warned that foreigners coming to buy produce here should be regarded as blessings.

“Because Kenya does grow its own onions from farms in Bungoma, Nyeri and Chale, they may choose not to come and in fact they never buy our onions here during harvest seasons in their country,” he warned.