How hard-working Kenyans minted billions for the richKenya’s economy gifted intermediary companies and individuals super profits, but the producers got peanuts for their labour, going by the analysis of the 2019 Economic Survey. It was also not a good year for maize farmers, though production of the cereal impressively increased to 44.6 million bags from 35.4 million bags in the previous year. The result was that prices paid to farmers declined by 14 per cent to Sh49 for a kilogramme from Sh57 in 2017, as brokers had a field day. In 2018, for example, collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) reached by agricultural workers were only three, six-times less than the 18 that were reached in 2017. Ms Odhiambo noted that generally, agricultural workers are employed in plantations in rural areas where minimum wages are low due to poor skills unlike their counterparts in manufacturing sector who are highly skilled.

Source: Standard Digital April 26, 2019 21:04 UTC