Maize, fuel shortages worsen food crisis in Northern Kenya
Drought-driven food crisis in northern Kenya is set to face more shockers in the coming weeks, millers have warned, attributing it to maize shortage, taxes, and fuel crisis that is still hitting hard the far-flung region of the country.
United Grain Millers Association Chairman (UGMA) Ken Nyaga says inadequate maize and wheat stock has gripped the local market amid sky-high global prices and cess imposed by various counties.
“We are compounding problems when it comes to issues of flour and food. Right now, there is nothing to tax because there is no maize in the country. Even if they were to be imported, the global prices are high. We are currently getting a 90 kg maize bag at Sh4,100,” Nyaga told Business Hub.
According to Michael Mburugu, an economist at PKF Ltd, the high cost of petroleum products has a high ripple effect on the cost of basic foodstuff.
Need of food
“The government should put in place measures to cushion citizens and the economy from the high cost of basic foodstuff,” he added. The number of people in need of food and water in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) has increased to 3.1 million due to below-normal short rains last year.
This is projected to rise to 3.5 million on account of depressed March-May rains as per the outlook by the weatherman. Worse, the revised weather outlook by Kenya Meteorological Department indicates that the long rain seasons will be poorly distributed in the country, a move likely to impact this year’s food security.
The association which controls over half of the local flour market projects a 90-kilo of maize to retail at Sh4,500 by next week, a 55 per cent surge when compared to Sh2,900 in mid last year. This is expected to make Kenya’s staple food much costlier as drought continues to ravage certain parts of the country.
In Nairobi, 2kg maize flour is currently retailing at Sh130 and could rise by Sh3. In Wajir, Garissa, and Marsabit, the few retailers who have flour are selling it at Sh220 per 2kg, up from the previous Sh160. In Mandera, consumers part with Sh240 for the same quantity. To ease the situation, UGMA has urged the government to import at least four million bags of maize as the country awaits the September harvest, which is also not promising due to inadequate rains.
Out of this, it wants three million bags to be distributed to various millers while the remaining one million bags are channelled to drought-hit areas to minimise hoarding.
Global prices
“If the maize lands in the hands of traders they are going to hoard it, and worsen the situation. The government needs to consider subsidies since global prices are high,” Nyaga noted. The association is mulling a proposal have taxes and distribution licenses, which significantly pile pressure on food prices, re-structured.
