Kenya: Red alert as deadly grain missing from State stores

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Source: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/politics/InsidePage.php?id=2000009361&cid=4

Red alert as deadly grain missing from State stores

By DAVID OHITO

The Government has raised a red flag after maize samples from last season?s harvest were found to be contaminated.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga directed the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to buy suspected stock to avert a crisis.

"While results of the final test are not yet available, it is only prudent to conclude that aflatoxin contamination is widespread and serious in Eastern and parts of Coast provinces," Raila said.

Two United Nations agencies had warned that tonnes of maize produced in Bura and Tana irrigation schemes and parts of Eastern Province could be lethal due to high levels of aflatoxin contamination.

Sh1 billion used

Sources at the Treasury said two months ago the Exchequer released Sh1 billion to mop up contaminated maize from farms and the market.

But the whereabouts of the stocks stored at NCPB Bura depot remain unclear and a concern for key local and international institutions.

The Government report confirmed that samples collected from depots in at least 14 districts in Eastern and Coast provinces contained intolerable levels of aflatoxin.

The PM said a task force would advise the Ministry of Public Health, Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), National Public Health Laboratories Services, Kenya Plant Health inspectorate services and NCPB to release their findings.

"To minimise contamination during the current long rains, the Government will mobilise National Youth Service and Army to construct appropriate drying and storage in time for the harvest," he said.

WFP rejected the stocks it intended to buy for programmes under the Purchase for Progress programme.

Government last week dispatched a team to assess contamination in Isiolo, Embu, Meru, Machakos, Kitui, Mutomo, Mwingi, Kibwezi and Makueni areas.

According WFP regulations, the maximum level of aflatoxin contamination for human consumption is 10ppb. In Kenya, up to 20ppb is allowed by Kebs, and up to 60ppb for animals. Contamination of maize found in Bura ranged from 890 to 3,800ppb.

The harvest in Embu contains 63ppb levels. In 2004, 123 people died after an outbreak of aflatoxin in Eastern Province.

The two UN organisations warned that it is not easy to dispose of the aflatoxin contaminated maize and called for public health measures.

A Ministry of Agriculture official showed The Standard a copy of the WFP letter to former Agriculture Minister William Ruto and his Public Health counterpart Beth Mugo warning of the contamination.

The Strategic Grain Reserves Trust adopted a resolution on January 26 not to purchase maize from Bura, after the maize was found to be contaminated.

　

Experts say contaminated maize can only be used for production of ethanol or paint.

The National Food Security Co-ordination Committee (NFSCC) a multi-sectoral committee initiated by various Government agencies has been analyzing crops harvested from Bura.
The World Food Programme (WFP) country Director David Okello and World Health Organisation?s (WHO) Bukard Oberle have confirmed, "aflatoxin contamination of maize in Bura and Eastern Province are serious health hazards."

WHO particularly warned that the unusually high incidences of stunted growth in children had been observed in the province...

 

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Re: Kenya: Red alert as deadly grain missing from State stores

Source: http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/915726/-/pf5qtiz/-/

Alert over aflotoxin contaminated maize in Kenya

By By Jeff Otieno (email the author)
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Posted Monday, May 10 2010 at 17:18

Maize bought from neighbouring countries will be subjected to tests following an outbreak of aflotoxin in Kenya.

Samples tested, by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), were found to contain high level of aflotoxin contamination above the tolerable limit in the districts of Kibwezi, Machakos, Yatta, Mwala, Mwingi, Makueni, Maara, Igembe, Imenti South, Imenti North, Isiolo, Embu, Bura and Mbeere.

Also targeted for testing is maize harvested locally, in various parts of the country, where bumper harvest has been recorded.

?Aflotoxin contamination is widespread and serious in parts of Coast and Eastern province,? the Prime Minister Raila Odinga warned at a press conference held at his Treasury Building office yesterday.

However, Mr Odinga said the government has taken measures to prevent contaminated maize reaching the market.

Aflotoxins are types of poisons produced by some species of fungi and habitual consumption of contaminated maize could lead to neurological impairment, stunted growth, and physical disorder. It can also cause risks of liver cancer. The deadly toxins occur due to poor handling of harvested maize, especially when the yield is not properly dried before storage or consumption.

The PM announced that aflotoxin test kits will be put up in all NCPB depots , within one week, to monitor and test maize harvested locally and from neighbouring countries. Currently, the parastatal is buying a 90kilogram bag of maize at Sh2,300

In 2004, the country experienced an outbreak, killing approximately 150 people in the arid and semi arid areas of the country, after heavy rains made it difficult for farmers to dry their harvests.

Yesterday, Mr Odinga and Agriculture Minister Dr Sally Kosgei said no deaths had so far been reported and credited the quick response by government officials.

?The government has already bought 102,249 bags of contaminated maize in Eastern and Coast Province to prevent it reaching the market and we will continue buying more,? said Dr Kosgei.

The PM announced the government will adequately compensate farmers in the affected areas for the loss of income and will also provide uncontaminated maize to those farmers for consumption,? Mr Odinga added.

He, however, did not indicate the amount of money to be set aside as compensation for the affected farmers, saying the figures will be worked out later.

A task force to analyse the spread of aflotoxin and how to prevent the occurrence in future will also be set up. It will comprise experts from relevant ministries and agencies, representatives of the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
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Re: Kenya: Red alert as deadly grain missing from State stores

Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Crisis...ne of huge harvest /-/1056/919030/-/5yavx4/-/

Crisis as farmers grapple with fortune of huge harvest


By DANIEL WESANGULA
Posted Saturday, May 15 2010 at 21:00

In Summary

Some have left their ready maize in the fields because they have no storage space

A few months after a prolonged drought killed animals and many Kenyans starving, farmers have another problem – surplus food.

Small-scale farmers in parts of Eastern and Coast provinces, which are considered either arid or semi-arid and therefore unproductive, are reporting bumper harvests due to the prolonged rains.

Last week, the government added a new twist to the story; the fear that maize that has not been dried properly because of the prolonged rains has aflatoxin.

The government issued an alert over the existence of contaminated maize in Eastern and Coast provinces.

Tolerable levels

Samples tested by the National Cereals and Produce Board were found to contain aflatoxin above “tolerable levels”. Subsequent tests done by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services also found high levels of contamination in Bura.

But Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the government had started buying the contaminated maize from the farmers.

Agriculture minister Dr Sally Kosgei said the ministry had already bought more than 100,000 bags of contaminated maize from farmers in the affected areas and would buy more.

According to the minister, buying contaminated maize from the farmers was the only way to ensure it does not get to the consumers.

Consistent consumption of aflatoxin-infested maize could lead to neurological impairment, stunted growth and physical disorder. It can also cause liver cancer.

The deadly toxins occur due to poor handling of harvested maize, especially when the yield is not properly dried before storage or consumption.

In 2004, Kenya experienced an outbreak, killing about 150 people.

Other crops which can also be affected by aflatoxin include sorghum, millet, rice, wheat, peanuts, soybeans and sunflower. The toxin can also be found in milk from animals that feed on the contaminated crops.

Food glut

But experts warn that buying the bad maize, though laudable, is only a stop-gap measure and say unless the government steps in to help the farmers in storing the surplus food, they will soon be starving again.