The government plans to work with posho mill owners across the country [Photo/Hivisasa]
The government is set to identify posho mill owners across the country who will be allocated imported maize for milling, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett says. The move aims at ensuring steady access to maize flour in all parts of the country.
“There are some conditions that have been set and we will work with those who will qualify. We are aware that whenever there is a programme for government subsidy there are some business people who want to benefit but we will not allow this to happen,” he said.
Speaking in Mombasa port when he received a vessel with 42,000 tonnes of white maize, Bett said the current shortage of maize flour in the country will be a thing of the past.
The Kenya Revenue Authority waived import duty on white maize in May to allow for the importation of more maize to cushion the domestic shortage.
Since then, 2.1 million bags of maize have been shipped into the country under the open importation window from Mexico.
Maize, since the imports started flowing in has been allocated to large and established millers, but Bett says in order to reach all corners of the country, the government has decided to incorporate posho mills.
The CS said there is a possibility of extending the importation window beyond the July 31 deadline depending on the availability of locally harvested maize.
Farmers in parts of Western including Trans Nzoia, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega and Vihiga and parts of Rift Valley are already harvesting maize planted in April. Under the State’s Sh6 billion subsidy programme, a two-kilogram packet of maize flour retails at Sh90.