• Millers who were vetted and have paid are collecting maize
• The government had approved the release of two million bags to stabilise unga prices
Image: FILE
Maize millers will clear 1.7 million bags of maize in a week's time.
The Strategic Food Reserve said millers who were vetted and have paid are collecting maize from the National Cereals and Produce Board depots.
“In another weeks time, millers should have cleared 1.7 million bags of maize from NCPB stores. After that we will meet and discuss on how much more maize we need to release to millers,” chairman Noah Wekesa said yesterday.
He said the board will meet towards the end of the week to discuss ways of releasing another batch to millers.
Last month, the government announced the release of two million bags to millers to stabilise the price of a 90 kg bag. The bag currently goes for Sh2,700-Sh4,000 across the country.
The move was also aimed at reducing the price of a two-kilogramme packet of maize flour from the current price of Sh120.
Wekesa said the Sh2,300 per 90kg bag will ensure the price of unga is reduced to Sh110.
“Our mandate is to not only produce maize to the market, but also ensure that consumers are not exploited, and that maize flour prices are affordable,” he said.
The SFR, through the NCPB, committed to releasing grade one, two and three maize to millers for human consumption and the lower grades for production of animal feed. Not all millers have been able to get the maize.
According to United Grain Millers Association vice-chairman Ken Nyaga, only 30 per cent of small-scale millers has been accessed maize from the cereals board.
Nyaga said the vetting process for millers was very complex even though they complied with the requirements.
“It was on a first-come-first-serve basis and most of the small-scale millers were left out. Traders are now taking advantage as what is there in the market is not enough. They have started importing maize from Tanzania, fetching between Sh3,100 to Sh3,200,” Nyaga said.
He added that even though some maize has been released to the market, consumers have yet to enjoy low unga prices.