• Kenya maize imports are under review as CS Mutahi Kagwe considers duty-free importation of 3 million tonnes of white maize amid a seven-year production low.

Kenya Maize Imports: Kagwe Weighs Duty-Free 3 Million MT as Production Hits 7-Year Low

The Government is considering a request by cereal millers to allow duty-free importation of three million metric tonnes of white maize as Kenya faces its lowest maize production in seven years and concerns grow over the availability and price of unga.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Sen. Mutahi Kagwe is weighing the proposal by the Cereal Millers Association (CMA), which wants the Government to open a nine-month duty-free importation window to allow millers to secure adequate maize supplies from regional and international markets.

The intervention comes as poor weather conditions threaten to significantly reduce this year’s maize harvest in major producing regions.

CMA Chief Executive Officer Paloma Fernandes said Kenya is facing one of its sharpest declines in maize production in recent years, with only six major producing counties expected to produce more than one million bags this season.

โ€œThis is the steepest decline in production and it is huge for us,โ€ Fernandes said during a grain-sector meeting convened by CS Kagwe.

The millers want the Government to gazette three million metric tonnes of white maize for duty-free importation, arguing that the move would reduce the cost of imported maize and help maintain stable unga prices.

Under the proposal, importers would have nine months to secure contracts, arrange financing and transport maize into the country.

The longer importation period would also give millers flexibility to source competitively priced non-GMO white maize from different markets.

CS Kagwe said the Government must move early to prevent possible shortages.

โ€œWe cannot afford not to have maize,โ€ he said.

Zambia and Tanzania Emerge as Key Sources

Zambia and Tanzania have emerged as Kenya’s immediate options for maize imports.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to Zambia, Hon. Lilian Tomitom, said Zambia has maize available and that Kenyan traders operating in Zambia and Malawi are ready to facilitate supplies to Kenyan millers.

โ€œThere is enough maize,โ€ the High Commissioner said.

However, the cost of transporting maize from southern Africa remains a major concern.

CS Kagwe called for engagement with the Zambian Government to explore ways of reducing the source price and making imported maize more competitive once transport costs are included.

Tanzania remains another important source, although millers have raised concerns over possible export restrictions whenever supplies tighten within the country.

The Cereal Millers Association has therefore asked the Government to allow importers to source maize from alternative international markets where necessary.

Government Eyes 360,000 Tonnes of Yellow Maize for Animal Feed

While the proposal to import three million tonnes of white maize is still under consideration, CS Kagwe indicated that the Government is keen on another intervention involving 360,000 metric tonnes of yellow maize.

The yellow maize would be specifically allocated for animal-feed manufacturing.

The move is expected to reduce competition between millers producing food for human consumption and feed manufacturers who currently depend partly on white maize.

By shifting animal-feed manufacturers towards yellow maize, the Government hopes to leave more white maize available for unga and other food products.

The intervention could also help reduce pressure on the local white maize market at a time when domestic production is expected to decline.

Food Safety Conditions Remain Non-Negotiable

CS Kagwe said increased maize imports must not compromise food safety.

He insisted that all maize entering the country must meet Kenya’s sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, particularly standards relating to moisture content and aflatoxin contamination.

โ€œDo not bring maize that is not going to pass the tests. There should be no maize in our stores that has been condemned,โ€ Kagwe said.

The CS also called for faster laboratory testing to reduce delays at entry points.

He said maize quality testing should ideally be completed within about 10 minutes instead of the current processes that can take four hours or even several days.

Slow testing and border clearance procedures add significantly to the final cost of maize, according to industry players.

Kagwe also called for one-stop border processing to reduce clearance delays that can last between three and five days.

Such delays increase transport, storage and financing costs, which are eventually passed on to consumers through higher unga prices.

โ€œGovernment must operate at the same pace as the private sector for efficiency,โ€ the CS said.

Kenya Moves to Protect Grain Supplies

The discussions come as the Government simultaneously works to strengthen the country’s grain reserves.

The National Cereals and Produce Board has indicated that storage capacity equivalent to approximately two million 90-kilogram bags is currently available.

The Government now faces a difficult balancing act.

It must ensure sufficient maize supplies for consumers without exposing local farmers to unfair competition from cheap imports.

At the same time, millers are pushing for early intervention to prevent a shortage from driving up the price of unga.

The decision on duty-free maize imports will therefore be closely watched by farmers, millers, traders and consumers.

With Kenya facing a seven-year low in maize production, the Government’s response in the coming months could determine whether the country maintains stable food supplies and prices or faces renewed pressure in the maize market.

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