Maize Prices in Bungoma Increase By 30% in One Month

The prices of maize in most parts of Bungoma County have increased by more than 30 percent in just one month.

A 90-kilogram bag of dry maize is now retailing between 3,000 and 3,200 shillings from between 1,800 and 2,000 shillings a month ago.

Most farmers in Bungoma County are small scale farmers and they often sell their maize in 2-kilogram tins. A month ago, a 2-kilogram tin was going for 50 shillings but a quick check now reveals that the same is going for between 70 and 80 shillings.

The increase in the prices was as a result of government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, announcing that it was set to buy maize from farmers at 3,200 shillings for every 90-kilogram bag of dry maize.

More than 20 percent of the maize plantation in this county were destroyed by the vicious armyworms that ravaged several counties in the country. This led to the reduction in harvests by more than 18 percent. Armyworms have been blamed from the reduction of more than a quarter of maize harvests across the country with the most affected counties being Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma and Nyamira.

The prices of beans in Bungoma have more than doubled in a span of three months. A 2-kilogram tin is going for between 180 and 200 shillings from between 80 and 100 shillings three months ago. The increase in the prices of beans has been attributed to the dwindled harvests this season as a result of prolonged dry season.

Currently, after harvesting their maize, most farmers have taken to sweet potato farming which most of them have said are resistant to diseases, take short time to mature and fetch good prices on the market.

In the neighbouring county, Kakamega, maize prices are retailing a bit higher with a 2-kilogram tin going for between 80 and 90 shillings on most markets with 100 shillings in some markets.