Tanzania to Sell Tonnes of Maize and Flour to Kenya

Close neighbors Tanzania have agreed that they will sell a million tons of Maize and flour for a period of one year to help curb maize shortage.

This deal comes after the food shortage menace had prompted the closure of more than 10 maize mill factories and shops in Kenya, especially in the North rifts and western regions.

Hussein Bashe, deputy minister of agriculture in Tanzania, reported that the deal has been agreed on by Tanzania and officials from both countries will meet next week to discuss the details and make the final decision.

“We have generally agreed to supply them with one million tons of maize flour and grains throughout a year to help them end the prevailing food shortage,” Mr. Bhashe said.

the deputy minister added that the prices that had been agreed on have not been made public yet and that the first sales will be made next month with 20,000 tons being released.

Kenya is on the verge of facing an acute maize shortage as the millers say that most farmers don’t have maize and those that have, are selling them at higher prices.

“We are facing an acute maize shortage and farmers who still have it sell at Sh4,800 per 90-kilogram bag. The government should intervene and open its NCPB stores for us to access maize at a modest price,” Grain Belt Millers Association Chairman Kipngetich Mutai said.

The maize milling factories that are in operation are milling below 20 percent of their shortage capacity because of the supply shortage.

Millers that have shut down their operations are mostly located in Bungoma, Bomet Uasin Gishu and Narok counties.

The Kenya-Tanzania maize deal will be an important boost to Kenya’s food security.

Tanzanian cereals board will oversee the deal that is set to take effect as of August 2019.