‘Bad’ maize: Kenya spends $6.6m a month on imports

The National Cereals and Produce Board officials check the quality of maize grains at their Eldoret depot. According to NCPB, only 500,000 bags of maize in the silos were fresh, being from the last harvest. PHOTO | STANLEY KIMUGE  

By ALLAN OLINGO

In Summary:

• Kenya has imported more than $6.6 million’s worth of maize from Tanzania and Uganda in the past one month amid claims of contamination of its own maize in government stores, as a result of which the retail price of a 2kg packet has risen by $0.15 in the past three months.
• In the past week alone, Kenya imported more than 4,700 tonnes at an average cost of $300 per tonne, indicating a sharp rise demand for the commodity.
• The agencies charged with handling maize production and the parent ministry have been giving conflicting information over the shortage.

Kenya has imported more than $6.6 million’s worth of maize from Tanzania and Uganda in the past one month amid claims of contamination of its own maize in government stores, as a result of which the retail price of a 2kg packet has risen by $0.15 in the past three months.

This development comes barely three months after Kenya and Uganda sold more than 10,000 tonnes to Tanzania to help fight starvation in neighbouring Malawi.

READ: Kenya turns down maize buy request from drought-hit Malawi

ALSO READ: Malawi famine a boon for maize farmers in East Africa

Data from the Regional Agricultural Trade Intelligence Network (Ratin) shows that since the start of June, Kenya has imported 18,754 tonnes of maize from neighbouring countries, with 13,103 tonnes coming from Tanzania.

In the past week alone, Kenya imported more than 4,700 tonnes at an average cost of $300 per tonne, indicating a sharp rise demand for the commodity.

Tanzania’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock And Fisheries Mwigulu Nchemba said that the country is self-sufficient in food and is selling the surplus to neighbouring countries.

“In the last harvest, nine out of the 25 regions produced surplus food. We expect a bumper harvest in many parts of the country in September. This will see us continue selling the surplus within the EAC,” Mr Nchemba said.

Kenya’s Cereal Millers Association said that it has been buying from Tanzania and this has helped keep the stock prices stable.

Nick Hutchinson, the lobby’s chairman, said they have cut production by close to 40 per cent due to the maize shortage.

“Our members have been shunning the maize from the government silos due to contamination. We are banking on the harvest from Tanzania to boost our stocks,” Mr Hutchinson said.

Denials

The agencies charged with handling maize production and the parent ministry have been giving conflicting information over the shortage. Mid-week, the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) blamed the government for delaying ordering maize from its silos for over eight years, leading to contamination that has seen millers shun it.

But Agriculture Principal Secretary Richard Lesiyampe told The EastAfrican that the maize in the silos is fit for consumption.

“There is no sign of the alleged aflatoxin. We have very strict rules and cannot at any time allow unfit maize to head to the millers,” Mr Lesiyampe said, adding that only the NCPB has the capacity to test the maize for aflatoxin and not the millers.

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However, while appearing before the Parliamentary Public Investments Committee (PIC), NCPB managing director Newton Terer said that over 400,000 bags of maize in the government silos have stayed there too long and hence are contaminated.

“It is true that some of the maize stocks have been in our storage for over eight years, beyond the two-year maximum period. We are working to destroy this maize or have it used for other non-human consumption related work like animal feeds,” Mr Terer said, adding that only 500,000 bags of maize out of the 2.7 million bags in the silos were fresh from the last harvest.

According to a food security report released by the Ministry of Agriculture, as at the end of last year, Kenya had close to 16 million bags of maize, a stock that was expected to last until the end of March. Out of that stock, farmers were holding about 7.8 million bags, traders 2.7 million bags, millers 6.5 million bags and NCPB had 3.7 million bags.

The importation of maize has seen prices on the shelf rise by $0.15 in the past three months, putting pressure on the majority of households that rely on it as their staple food.

Currently, the maize from Tanzania is being purchased at $310 per tonne, while that from Uganda is going for $280 per tonne. A 90kg bag of maize is retailing at an all-time high in Bujumbura at $38.04, followed by Nairobi at $31.59 and $25.07 in Kampala, which is experiencing an oversupply, and $23.37 in Kigali. The biggest price drop has been in Dar es Salaam at $29.41, down from $47.6 in April.

Rwanda has also increased its maize imports, buying 2,190 tonnes from Uganda in the past one month. Three months ago, Rwanda announced that it was facing an acute maize shortage after a poor harvest.

READ: Maize prices rise as Rwandan farmers fear looming scarcity

The Ministry of Agriculture said the leading maize growing areas experienced bad weather, including prolonged drought. Despite the country producing a projected 908,772 tonnes, only 270,000 tonnes of maize are likely to reach the market due to poor post-harvest handling and informal market trading.