Maize Flour Prices Expected to Decrease as Government Releases 2 Million Bags of Maize

The government has released two million bags of maize to millers to ease citizens’ burden on the increasing maize flour prices.

Saying that the next maize harvesting season is nigh, the government has opted to let go of its initial plan of importing maize from various countries.

Strategic Food Reserve Oversight Board chairman Noah Wekesa, said that there is enough maize in store for millers to purchase at 2700 shillings per 90 kg bag.

He said that the Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund has more than 1.5 million bags of maize which they hope will address the issue of rising maize flour prices.

“Maize flour now retails at between 120 shillings to 160 shillings per two kg packet, which is a higher price considering it is the staple food. We hope to help reduce the price of flour by releasing the available bags of maize to millers at an affordable price,” said Mr. Wekesa.

Mr. Wekesa, however, said that as much as two million bags of maize bought from the National Cereals Board by millers, the country still faces a shortage in maize flour.

He revealed that the Strategic Food Reserve is withholding 1, 521, 629 bags of maize from the 2017/2018 crop season and 417 million bags of maize from the 2018/2019 crop season.

Mr. Wekesa also told journalists in Kitale that the government has no intention of importing maize ad that such words going round should not be taken seriously.

“The country’s food reserve still has maize in store and until we exhaust what we have from our own farmers, no maize is going to be imported. We shall use what we have even as we wait for the next harvest season,” he said.

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