This archive report was first published on 4 August 2019.
On August 4, 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture made a crucial decision to ease the pressure on white maize and cool off animal feed prices by approving the importation of 2.5 million bags of yellow maize.
The decision was reached after a meeting between animal feed manufacturers and Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga and Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) chief executive Omar Salat.
As a result, traders and manufacturers will be allowed to bring in the yellow maize duty-free, with the process set to commence after the gazettement by the Treasury.
According to Martin Kinoti, Secretary-General of the Association of Animal Feeds manufacturers, the current arrangement should stay in place even in the coming years to enable manufacturers to import the produce every year.
He noted that the plan should remain in place to cut competition for white maize between animals and human beings.
Yellow maize permits were issued to three mainstream millers and about 17 animal feeds manufacturers in 2017 following a similar shortage, with more than two million bags being imported after the duty waiver by the government in April 2017.
