Maize shortage continues to bite as traders source it from neighbouring states

Lack of a national strategic food reserve, high fertiliser and fuel costs have been cited as among the leading factors that caused the raging maize crisis in the country.

Players in the cereals sector note that producers, including large-scale and subsistence farmers, released all their stocks including surplus to the market owing to high demand.

Traders are now sourcing maize from as far as Zambia and Malawi, making a two-kilogramme tin (korogoro) to retail at between Sh230 and Sh250 in parts of the North Rift.

They cite increased prices to long procedures of buying produce from neighbouring states and lengthy hours of transporting it to the local market.

Sources told The Standard that huge stocks of local maize harvested last season were sold to South Sudan, while production in Uganda dropped due to the drought experienced last year.

“Most farmers offloaded the surplus maize they had stocked for food to enable them to buy fertiliser, and seeds and meet the high cost of fuel in preparing their farms. This led to excessive disposal of maize to traders, leading to an acute shortage of grain,” said Ruth Kemboi.

Mrs Kemboi, the Uasin Gishu Kenya National Federation of Farmers (Kenff) branch chairperson, said for the first time, maize prices in the North Rift hit over Sh6,500 per 90kg bag owing to shortages.

“Lack of strategic reserves at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores across the country to stabilise prices is to blame for the high cost of flour. Food prices could further soar as Uganda and Tanzania restrict exports,” said Kemboi.

Delayed input subsidy by the government, Kemboi pointed out, saw farmers fight for survival, selling all their stocks to purchase inputs.

“We do not understand why the government failed to buy stocks through NCPB. Unless the government intervenes by setting a good producer price and buying adequate stocks after the current season harvest, the situation could be worse next year,” said the Kenff official.

Thomas Boen, a farmer in Uasin Gishu, said the high cost of living and change in the education calendar saw small-scale maize producers sell off their maize stocks to pay regular school fees and to sustain their families.

“We have had short academic terms and parents who rely on farming had to sell off produce to meet their children’s educational obligations. Lack of fertiliser subsidy also prompted farmers to sell off more stocks,” he said.

Boen added: “During the onset of planting in March, a 90kg bag of maize retailed at Sh3,000, and we had to sell two to afford a 50kg bag of fertiliser whose cost then was between Sh5,800 and Sh6,300. We also sold to invest in seeds, mechanical operation and to buy top-dressing fertiliser that goes for over Sh7,000 per bag.”

Mr Jeremiah Kosgei, a maize trader in Eldoret, expressed fear that unless the government increases subsidy on maize, consumers would continue paying more this month and August.

“There is still a serious shortage for maize, and we now rely on produce from Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. Transport logistics is a major issue and it costs us Sh550,000 to transport a trailer containing 300 bags of maize from Zambia to Kenya,” said Kosgei.

He said the added transportation costs translate to Sh5,500 per 90kg bag, hence they will be prompted to sell at over Sh5,800 to local millers.

Kosgei said government waiver is ‘just a drop in the sea’ saying they are only exempted from paying Sh 40,000 for 300 bags, that takes traders three weeks to move from Zambia to Kenya.

“Sale of green maize has worsened the situation because, by this moment, we would be having dry maize from Narok but farmers exhausted them to sustain their families. At the moment, we transport maize for sale to parts of Marakwet that have started experiencing food shortage,” he stated.

Kosgei argued that if the government wants to stabilise flour prices at about Sh100 per 2kg packet, then it should provide a subsidy of Sh2,000 a bag to enable millers to purchase a 90kg bag of dry maize at Sh3,800.

“The demand for maize is so high, with Kenyans flocking Zambia and Malawi for the produce. We interact in the two nations as though we are home. We are sold 2018 strategic food reserves in the two countries,” Kosgei added.

Samuel Yego, the Uasin Gishu County Executive for Agriculture, dispelled fears of food shortage next year, dismissing claims of reduced production acreage.

“We have 104,000 hectares under maize plantation in Uasin Gishu County, just like last year. There is no reduction in acreage compared to last year, and we expect a good harvest,” he said.

He, however, blamed market dynamics, saying shortages would be experienced if traders eye neighbouring countries, including South Sudan.

Yego also noted a drop in wheat production acreage from 18,500 hectares three years ago to below 16,500 currently, saying high cost of fungicides and import produce is demoralising producers.