Kenya: Farmers in Protest over Tobacco Cash

Source from:  The Nation 04/13/2010

More than 2,000 farmers have threatened to stop supplying their tobacco leaves to Mastermind Tobacco Kenya over unpaid arrears. The farmers from Bukhayo North, Busia district, led by Mr Peter Wafula, said they had not been paid for the past one and a half months. Busia county council cess committee chairman Jack Wambulwa said the one percent fee deducted from farmers by the company was not being remitted to the council. "This is our main source of income and we are likely to be forced to shift to other crops unless we are paid the arrears," Mr Wafula said. Busia county council cess committee chairman Jack Wambulwa also claimed that the firm was not remitting to the council the one percent cess it deducted from farmers. "Mastermind Tobacco Kenya owes us about over Sh500,000 for the past five years," Mr Wambulwa said. The chief leaf manager, a Mr Kimani, declined to comment on the issue. Meanwhile tobacco farmers in South Nyanza are calling for producer price increase citing the high cost of farm inputs and living. They told BAT Kenya, Alliance One and Mastermind Tobacco Kenya to consider increasing the cash paid to farmers. The growers, who spoke in Migori Town, said they would only continue to produce good leaf grades if they were motivated through better pay. The farmers from Migori, Kuria West, Kuria East, Uriri and Rongo Districts are usually paid between Sh20 and Sh140 per kilo depending on the grade of the leaf. Enditem