Kenya's High Commissioner to India H.E Amb. Willy K. Bett, received the High-Level Kenyan Delegation on Warehouse Receipt System at The Kenyan High Commission, Delhi India. The team visited various institutions relating to Warehouse Receipt System including, Warehouse Development and Regulatory Agency, Commodity Depositories and Commodity exchange companies, in both private and public sector environments.

The Council in participating towards the reduction of post-harvest loses experienced by maize farmers in Nakuru County, participated in training farmers in partnership with the County Government of Nakuru, NCPB, EAGC and KCEP_CRAL.  The team took farmers through practical practices that farmers can adopt to reduce post-harvest losses. These practices contribute towards food-security.  

The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries & Cooperatives, Hon. Peter Munya MGH, EGH launched the Warehouse Receipt System in Trans Nzoia County on 13th January 2022. He termed the Warehouse Receipt System a solution to the challenges that they face after harvesting crops.

County Executive Committee Members (CECMs); Agriculture, County Directors Crops, Livestock, Trade and Cooperatives underwent training on the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) in the Lake Region Economic Bloc. The counties that constitute the Lake Region Economic Bloc in this are Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nyamira, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, Kericho, Bomet, Nandi and Vihiga.

The Council held a consultative meeting with Agriculture Commodity Aggregators and Large-scale farmers to onboard Warehouse Receipt System in Nakuru County targeting the November/December 2021 maize harvest season. Consultations with Equity bank and potential depositors on Warehouse Receipt Financing (WRF) were held on utilizing the Warehouse Receipt (WR) as collateral. Equity Bank is currently financing farmers for inputs and a package is available for WRS related loans which is at 13% p.a. The interest rate reduces based on the period the loan is taken. Discussions were also held with National Cereals and Produce Board on warehouse storage charges and related grain handling charges for commodities deposited in the licensed warehouse (Nakuru NCPB stores).

Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries held an open agricultural field day in Nakuru County.  The event was held at KALRO Njoro, on Saturday 31 st July, 2021 and was facilitated and hosted by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB), Department of Agriculture- County Government of Nakuru and the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA). Warehouse Receipt System Council was invited to exhibit Warehouse Receipt System as an intervention for agricultural commodities storage, structured marketing and access to financing.

The government has moved a step closer in operationalising the Warehouse Receipt System. The ministry of agriculture has already certified five warehouses in the system, which is expected to fix farmers woes in the country.

The Warehousing Receipt System Council says existing warehouses across the country do not meet the required standards to store farmers’ produce.

The government has unveiled the Warehouse Receipt System Council, and is planning to have the management of food stock come the next harvesting season taken up by the Council.