Millers and traders make a killing from cheap Ugandan maize imports

Tracks carrying maize at Malaba border ready to deliver maize in Kenya. [Photo/DUNCAN OCHOLLA]

 

On a typical day, a fleet of trailers and lorries can be spotted plying the dusty Kenya-Uganda border points of Busia and Malaba.

The trucks belong to different maize milling companies and individual businessmen. For every 10 trucks that cross the border into Kenya, at least three are ferrying maize, most of it for millers.

Millers and individual importers are making millions of shillings as persistent drought continue to push prices of maize and flour, a staple food in majority of Kenya’s households, up.

Already, the country is grappling with an acute shortage of maize. The price of unga has risen from Sh90 in December to Sh150.

Cheap produce

Besides the erratic weather patterns, army worms destroyed maize crops last year, with more than 8,000 acres attacked in Trans Nzoia, putting Kenya’s food security at risk.

With the drop in produce came high prices.

Millers and traders opt to buy the maize from neighbouring countries. To the east, they get their supplies at Soko Matope on the border and in Mawero, Uganda. Others get the maize from Uganda’s National Produce and Cereals Board (NCPB), Mbale, Kampala and Jinja. 

Uganda’s small-scale farmers are also smuggling the maize across the border using bicycles and motorcycles.

Vincent Mugisha has been selling maize at Mawero for years. Currently, a 90kg sack sells at Sh2,250. In Mbale, Uganda, the same sack sells at Sh2,100, and in Kampala, it goes for Sh2,083.

When it crosses the border, the same bag of maize sells at Sh3,800. In Kisumu, Vihiga and Kitale, it fetches Sh4,100, Sh3,700 and Sh3,400 respectively.

Western Deluxe, a Busia-based flour miller that manufactures the Halisi maize meal, has opted to import the grain from Kampala. Emmanuel Mwaro, the company’s manager, says they have been forced to embark on a single day shift due to shortage of the produce.

“Busia residents alone consume 800 2kg packets of Halisi flour daily. The demand is very high but the supply of maize is insufficient,” said Mwaro.

To meet the high demand, Western Deluxe milled 10,000 kilograms daily. But it has been forced to scale it down to 3,000 kilograms of flour a day because of the shortage.

Inflated prices

“If the situation persists, we will have to hike the price even further,” said Mwaro.

Everlyn Khayere is a maize trader at Kakamega bus stage. She hardly gets maize to sell. The truck that brings in the produce from Kilgoris in Narok County comes only once a week.

“Initially, six trucks brought the maize to Kakamega three times a week. Now, only one truck brings us maize whose prices have been inflated. In October, a 90kg sack cost me Sh1,500. I now buy it at Sh3,000 and sell it at Sh4,000. A 2kg tin sells at Sh220, up from Sh100 last year,” said Ms Khayere.

Mary Apondi roasts green maize at the same bus stage. She also gets her maize from Narok and will have lost its fresh taste by the time it lands in Kakamega.

“The large cob sells at Sh10 and a small one at Sh5. Three small cobs of maize are sold to us  at Sh20 by the  suppliers. Last year, we bought the three cobs at Sh10. We are now making Sh5 profit and I have not paid rent for two months now,” said Ms Apondi.