NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 10 – Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe is considering a request by cereal millers to allow duty-free importation of three million tonnes of white maize as Kenya grapples with a sharp decline in local production and the prospect of higher unga prices.
The Cereal Millers Association (CMA) wants the government to gazette three million metric tonnes (MT) of white maize for duty-free importation, arguing that the measure would reduce the cost of maize, broaden sourcing options and cushion consumers against increases in the price of maize flour.
The proposal was presented to Senator Kagwe during a grain-sector meeting as the country faces what CMA described as its steepest decline in maize production in years.
CMA chief executive Paloma Fernandes said only six major maize-producing counties are expected to produce more than one million bags this season.
“This is the steepest decline in production and it is huge for us,” Ms Fernandes said.
The millers are seeking a nine-month duty-free importation window, saying a longer period would give them sufficient time to secure supplies, arrange financing and organise shipping.
The association also wants the flexibility to source non-GMO white maize from both regional and international markets depending on availability and prices.
Senator Kagwe indicated that the government was considering the proposal, including the nine-month window, as it seeks to avoid a shortage of the staple food.
“We cannot afford not to have maize,” the CS said.
Zambia, Tanzania targeted
Zambia and Tanzania have emerged as potential sources of maize as Kenya seeks to bridge the production deficit.
Kenya’s High Commissioner to Zambia Lilian Tomitom told the meeting that Zambia has maize available and that Kenyan traders operating in Zambia and Malawi could help facilitate supplies to the country.
“There is enough maize,” Ms Tomitom said.
Senator Kagwe, however, called for discussions with the Zambian government to secure maize at a lower source price and address the high transportation costs that could make the grain expensive once delivered to Kenya.
The CMA also warned against overreliance on Tanzania, noting that Dar es Salaam can restrict maize exports when domestic stocks come under pressure.
Such restrictions could disrupt supplies from Tanzania and maize transported from Zambia through Tanzanian routes.
Ms Fernandes urged the government to allow millers to explore alternative international markets should regional supplies become unreliable.
Yellow maize for animal feed
At the same time, the government is considering gazetting 360,000MT of yellow maize specifically for animal-feed manufacturers.
The move is intended to encourage feed manufacturers to shift from white maize to yellow maize, thereby reducing competition for food-grade maize used by millers to produce unga.
The intervention could free up additional white maize supplies for human consumption at a time when local production is falling.
The government is also seeking to strengthen grain reserves, with the National Cereals and Produce Board indicating that storage capacity equivalent to about two million 90kg bags is available.
Kagwe warns against unsafe imports
Senator Kagwe cautioned that any increase in maize imports must not come at the expense of food safety.
He directed that imported maize must meet Kenya’s sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, particularly standards relating to moisture and aflatoxin contamination.
“Do not bring maize that is not going to pass the tests. There should be no maize in our stores that has been condemned,” he said.
The CS also called for faster laboratory testing of maize, saying quality checks should be completed in about 10 minutes instead of the current procedures that can take several hours or, in some cases, days.
He further called for the establishment of one-stop border processes to speed up the clearance of imported grain.
According to the CS, delays of between three and five days at the border add to transportation, storage and financing costs, which eventually increase the price paid by consumers.
“Government must operate at the same pace as the private sector for efficiency,” Senator Kagwe said.
The proposed duty-free imports come as the government balances the need to secure adequate maize supplies and keep unga affordable against concerns over the impact of imports on local farmers.
