The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Kenya is set to import 540,000 metric tonnes of White Grade A non-GMO maize from Zambia as the country seeks to address a grain shortage linked to reduced production in major farming areas affected by drought.
The maize will be supplied by Zambia’s Food Reserve Agency (FRA) under an agreement signed with Kenya’s Baita Trading Company Limited.
FRA Board Chairperson Suresh Desai said the deal would provide Zambia with a dependable regional market for its increasing maize output while helping Kenya meet its grain needs.
Desai said the two parties would agree on prices at the beginning of each shipment tranche, taking into account prevailing regional market conditions and price levels.
Baita Trading Company Director Martin Kinoti said the agreement was reached after about two weeks of negotiations between the Kenyan and Zambian sides.
Kinoti said the arrangement would not only increase grain supplies in Kenya but also strengthen cooperation between the two countries through the sharing of agricultural produce.
Kenya’s maize production has been affected by inadequate rainfall during the March-May long-rains season, with major producing areas such as the North Rift and parts of Western Kenya, including Bungoma County, recording lower output.
The development comes as the government considers a separate request from cereal millers to allow the duty-free importation of three million tonnes of white maize.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Wednesday that the government was reviewing the proposal amid concerns over declining domestic production and the possibility of higher maize flour prices.
The Cereal Millers Association has asked the government to gazette three million metric tonnes of white maize for duty-free importation, arguing that the move would reduce production costs, expand sourcing options and protect consumers from rising flour prices.
Available data indicates that Kenya requires about 48 million 90-kilogramme bags of maize annually, while actual consumption ranges between 55 million and 60 million bags, highlighting the country’s growing supply gap.
