An attendant arranges flour in a supermarket. Food prices to rise till mid-next year according to a new report. [Photo: Business Daily]A report compiled by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS) shows that the price of common Kenyan foods will keep on going high till mid 2018.FEWS comprises the Ministry of Agriculture, USAID, and the World Food Programme.The forecast shows wholesale maize prices between October 2017 – May 2018 in Nairobi are projected to remain at 21 to 27 per cent above average ranging between Sh3,400 – Sh3,900 for a 90kg sack.The Food Security Outlook forecast further says regional and international maize imports into Kenya will be 75 per cent above the recent five-year average to cover demand."Imports from Ethiopia are expected to continue to atypically rise, and there are expected imports from non-traditional overseas sources, such as South Africa, Zambia, Mexico, and Ukraine," says the report published recently on FEWS website.The prices will rise towards January and gradually decline, beginning February next year, driven by the short rains harvests."Overall, household incomes in the pastoral and marginal areas will likely improve from March at varying levels depending on the rainfall performance and recovery," the report adds. The report notes people in certain counties will still have food shortages early next year. These include households in Tana River, Mandera (Lafey and Mandera South), Garissa, Wajir, and Isiolo.The report notes that these households are likely to continue relying on humanitarian assistance through May, particularly if they experience below-average 2017 short rains, followed by poor 2018 long rains.

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