Maize flour in Kenya to remain costly on expensive imports

Published 2022년 6월 24일

Tridge summary

The cost of transporting maize from Malawi and Zambia has increased by 150%, leading to higher flour prices in Kenya. The high transport costs are due to expensive fuel and the need for trucks to return empty to their countries. As a result, the price of flour has surpassed Sh200 for the first time in Kenya's history. Millers and feed manufacturers are struggling as they have to import expensive grain to keep their operations running, with no local stocks available. The high global cost of the commodity, caused by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, means that consumers will continue to face expensive flour until the next harvesting season in October.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Expensive imports have dampened hopes for cheaper flour as the cost of transporting maize from the source markets has shot by 150 percent. Transporters are charging the equivalent of Sh1,500 for a single bag of maize transported from either Malawi or Zambia from Sh600 previously, pushing the landing cost of a 90-kilo bag to Sh6,000 when it lands in Nairobi. The price of flour in the country has been on an upward trend since the beginning of the year and this week it crossed the Sh200 mark, a first in Kenya’s history as the shortage of the staple food persisted. Animal feeds manufacturers, who are also importing the same standard maize for feeds say the high cost has curtailed most of their members from shipping in the produce. Also read: Galana dumps maize for livestock fodder “Maize is relatively cheaper in Zambia and Malawi but when you factor in the transport cost, it becomes costly,” said John Gathogo, the publicity secretary, Kenya Feeds Manufacturers. The high cost of ...

Source: Businessdailyafrica