Kenya to import maize from Malawi and Zambia

Written By:Obrien Kimani,    Posted: Tue, Jun 21, 2011

Farmers are said to have 7.5 million bags of maize, traders 2.2 million, millers 300,000 and the National Cereals and Produce Board have about 2.9 million bags in their stocks

The government has announced that it will import maize from Zambia and Malawi in the next five days.

Agriculture Permanent Secretary Romano Kiome says Kenya will engage African governments to help maize millers source the commodity with ease, to overcome logistics issues that may arise since Zambia and Malawi are landlocked countries.

The revelation comes amid a looming crisis, which has sent the Kenya's major millers on the brink collapse. Six millers have so far suspended their milling operations.

Besides poor harvest, the situation is compounded by a maize shortage the traditional markets of Tanzania and Uganda, after Tanzania banned the export of the commodity.

This has forced the price of a two kilogram packet of maize-meal to hit an all time high of 140 shillings, the highest ever in Kenya's history.

The Ministry of Finance has also published a legal notice in line with the 2011/2012 financial budget that gives millers a six-month window in which to import duty free maize.

Considering that Kenya's low income earners spend about 28 per cent of their revenue on maize the current crisis only spells tough times ahead.

Kenya's second largest miller Pembe limited was forced to close due to lack of the commodity and Cereal millers association has warned of harsher times ahead if government does not intervene urgently.

Supermarkets in Kisumu County have registered acute shortage of maize flour and other related products, forcing management of the outlets to start rationing the products to customers.

A survey by Kenya News Agency (KNA) at Tuskys, Ukwala, Nakumatt and Kibuye Open Air Market established that their stocks have been depleted and so the need to restrict the amount of maize flour and related products that each customer could buy at a go.

At Ukwala, the main brands of maize flour like Dola which is milled in Eldoret was the only product available on the shelves.

At Nakumatt Mega Plaza the situation was not any better as employees who declined to named for fear of victimization by the management confided to KNA that they were selling the last stock.

The prices of 2Kgs packet of maize flour went for Ksh.160 in almost all the supermarket outlets, while at Kibuye Open Air Market, a 2Kg tin went for Ksh.130 while the available 2Kgs of other maize flour in packets doubled to over Ksh.300.