In Kenya, farmers reap from historic maize price as crisis looms

Published 2022년 11월 17일

Tridge summary

Kenyan farmer, Joseph Wanjala, is experiencing a boom in profits due to record-setting maize prices, reaching Sh4,500 per bag in November. This surge comes at a time when the country is facing severe drought and potential famine, with over half of the countries experiencing acute drought and 5.1 million people in need of food relief. The declining production of maize and heavy reliance on imports are increasing the cost of flour and other food commodities, causing widespread strain on household budgets and leading to concerns about inflation. The high cost of maize and other inputs, over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, and climate change shocks are exacerbating the food crisis in Kenya and the larger IGAD region, where millions are facing severe food insecurity.

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Original content

Joseph Wanjala is a happy farmer. For the first time, he is earning a record Sh4,500 for a bag of maize at the farm in November. The high cost of the staple at the peak of harvesting comes as a boom to farmers but portends difficult times for consumers who have to contend with the high cost of flour. The high prices of the staple come at a time when Kenya faces one of the worst famines with more than half of the counties now crossing to the acute drought stage and 5.1 million people in need of food relief. “For me, this is one of the best years, in my 20 years of farming, the prices of maize have never hit this high,” said Mr Wanjala. Whereas the selling price is impressive, the total production in the ongoing crop season is expected to drop at least three million to 34 million bags. This implies that the available stocks expected this year will last for nine months and Kenya will have to rely on cross-border imports to meet the deficit. ALSO READ: Kenya risks food shortage as new ...

Source: Businessdailyafrica