NAIROBI, Kenya, April 4 – The Government has announced a 50 percent duty waiver on imported yellow maize amid rising prices caused by competition between animal feed millers and maize millers for white maize.
The waiver, which will apply to 5.5 million bags of yellow maize for one year, will only be applied to vetted animal feed millers.
The cut on duty comes at a time when a 90-kilogram bag of maize has risen by about 26 percent compared to three months ago.
“The objective is to reduce pressure on local white maize stocks by shifting animal feed millers to yellow maize,” Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary (CS), Agriculture & Livestock Development, said.
“This will allow millers focused on human consumption to access available maize at fairer prices, ultimately leading to reduced production costs and more stable unga prices for consumers. The imported yellow maize will be non-GMO,” the CS added.
In 2023, Kenyans faced high maize flour prices, which retailed between Sh180 and Sh200 for a 2-kilo packet, exacerbated by high maize prices due to a persistent drought.
Currently, the same amount goes for about Sh150.
“Looking ahead, I urge our farmers to consider the cultivation of yellow maize to meet the domestic demand of over 1 million metric tonnes required annually by the animal feed industry,” Kagwe said.
“This shift will help reduce dependency on imports and contribute positively to our economy.”
“Additionally, the government will release regular maize from the National Strategic Food Reserve to millers producing maize flour for human consumption. This intervention aims to cushion the mwananchi from the impact of soaring unga prices.”
