Vessel at the Port of Mombasa with 29,900 tonnes of Maize from Mexico.[ photo / The Star. ]
Kenya has entered into government-to-government deal with Mexico to ensure that it directly acquires cheap maize from Mexico in the event that maize shortage is witnessed next year.
According to the Director of crops at the Ministry of Agriculture, Johnson Irungu , the deal was reached after long consultations that led to dispatching of a team to mexico last month.
“We have reached a government-to-government deal with Mexico and this will make it not only cheap, but also convenient to import maize,” said Dr Irungu.
Dr Irungu added that the agreement is a precautionary measure mend to prevent delays as one witnessed on May when the government's decision on right place for import maize was delayed leading to skyrocketing of maize flour prices.
Kenya witnessed maize shortage at the beginning of the year compelling the government to set aside Sh6 billion to lower the maize flour prices that had reached Sh153 for a two-kilogramme packet under the subsidy programme.
Following the government's intervention, the of the same two-kilogramne packet price dropped to Sh90.
The subsidy programme is expected to end by the close of this month after an extension of deadline from September.
The government previously said that the ministry of agriculture through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) will buy maize from farmers and this will help play a crucial role at the close of subsidy programme.