Lower food prices, CS Felix Koskei ask told

KILIFI: The Government Wednesday piled pressure on maize millers and other traders to reduce food prices commensurate to the recent drop in production costs and price of produce.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Felix Koskei said the Government was concerned that millers and retailers of food stuff continue to exploit Kenyans by selling food prices at exorbitant prices despite reduction of cost of raw materials and energy.

“We as the Government are concerned that despite reduction in cost of production, millers and retailers especially of maize have not yet reduced prices of flour,” he said.

Mr Koskei said fuel prices had dropped by Sh20 a litre, a bag of maize had been reduced from Sh3,500 to Sh2,100 while the cost of electricity had reduced by 40 per cent.

The CS said the drop in the cost of production should reflect in the prices of foodstuff and directed millers and food retailers to lower the prices with immediate effect.

“There is no reason whatsoever why millers are holding unto the earlier prices and exploiting consumers especially with the current hard economic situation,” he said.

Koskei said that a two kilogramme packet of maize flour was still retailing at Sh100, which he said was too high for Kenyans and should drop below the 100 hundred mark.

Koskei made the remarks after touring the Galana Food Security Project where the Government intends to put 1 milion acres of land under food production.

He was accompanied by his Principle Secretary Sicily Kariuki, National irrigation Board Chairman Sammy Letema, National Irrigation Board General Manager Daniel Barasa among other dignitaries.

Koskei at the same time assured farmers the Government had set aside enough money to buy maize across the country.

He said maize was on high demand in neighboring countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia and called on farmers to venture into commercial farming.

Wednesday Bura Irrigation Scheme farmers representative Nelson Kibayu, told Koskei the Government had left out farmers in the area when it was buying maize from farmers despite the area recording a bumper harvest.