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Stakeholders ask State to remove duty on yellow maize

Friday, November 15th, 2019 05:37 | By

Livestock stakeholders want the government to suspend 50 per cent import duty on maize imports in order to boost production of more animal feeds.

Under the umbrella Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA), the players said the cost of production of animal feeds in Kenya was high owing to rigid regime on importation of yellow maize.

Chairman Joseph Karuri said the low production of maize in the country had contributed to high cost of animal feeds and to a large extent led to low livestock production.

Reduce competition

He said the government should allow importation of yellow maize to reduce competition with millers for white maize, adding that this would lower the cost significantly given that 70 per cent of production costs were feeds-related. 

“We urge the government to open a duty-free permanent window that will allow imports of yellow maize so that manufacturers can stop competing with human beings for limited white maize,” Karuri addedduring a media briefing at a Nairobi hotel yesterday.

Cabinet is yet to sanction the imports even after the ministry of agriculture presenting the proposal.

Any maize to be imported outside the Common Market for Southern and Eastern Africa (Comesa) attracts an import duty of 50 per cent. 

Martin Kinoti, secretary general AKEFEMA, said the cost of animal feeds had gone up by between Sh200 and Sh300 due to the high cost in acquiring maize in the last three months. 

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