Maize hits new high of Sh6,100 a bag on shortage in Kenya

Maize prices have hit a high of Sh6,100 for a 90-kilogramme bag on reduced supply, adding more pressure on flour and pain to the consumers who are already grappling with the high cost of living. The price has jumped from Sh5,700 –the level at which it was selling for a similar quantity late last month. Subsequently, millers have increased the factory price of flour with a bale selling at Sh2,370 on average from Sh2,180 last week in response to the rising cost of maize, which accounts for 80 percent of the total cost of production. Read: Prices of maize jump on high demand, importation delays In the supermarkets, the prices that had eased to below Sh200 for a two-kilo packet in the last two weeks, have so far rallied to Sh208. “The price of maize has shot up significantly and we have had to adjust the cost of flour as well,” said Atin Aggarwal, chief executive at Trident Millers Limited. He said they are witnessing a tight supply of grain in the market with limited stocks coming in ...