Animal feed millers want the government to allow importation of GM yellow maize to reduce competition on white maize.
The competition, according to millers, has led to high prices of animal feed in the country.
They want the state to relax rules on importation of yellow maize.
Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (Akefema) chairman Joseph Karuri yesterday said the cost of production in Kenya is high because of the strict rules on importation of yellow maize.
“If we are allowed to bring in this variety, then we will lower the cost significantly given that 70 per cent of the production cost emanates from feeds. We urge the government to open a duty-free permanent window that will allow imports of yellow maize so that manufacturers can stop competing with human beings for limited white maize,” he said.
He spoke during a media briefing on the cost of animal feeds in the country.
Karuri said this year animal feed manufacturers were unable to ship in yellow maize because of the bureaucracies that lead to delays.
“From the look of things, there would be no reprieve for farmers next year, and we want the plans on imports of yellow maize to commence now. There is a projection by the Ministry of Agriculture that production this year will drop by 10 million bags, a move that will put pressure on the white produce,” Karuri said.
Akefema secretary general Martin Kinoti said the cost of animal feeds has gone up by between Sh200 and Sh300 due to the high cost in acquiring maize.
Kinoti said dairy meal feeds are selling at between Sh2,300 and Sh2,200 up from an average of Sh1,900 per 90kg bag. A 90 kg bag of layers’ mash is selling at between Sh3,200 and Sh3,300 from Sh2,800.
“At the moment, the price of white maize has shot to Sh3,500 per bag and there is a likelihood of it taking an upward trajectory going forward, this will see the cost of animal feeds skyrocket unless we allow shipping in of yellow commodity,” Karuri said.
Kinoti said the government should stop restricting importation of GM yellow maize because 99 per cent of the seed of yellow maize available in the world is GM.
“We want to import yellow maize from low cost countries like Ukraine and Mexico which produce maize cheaply. Currently, animal feed millers cannot be able to clear it at the port unless the government issues a circular to suspend the 50 per cent import duty,” he said.
