Maize and unga prices to drop from October, says researcher

Maize flour prices are likely to drop or stabilise from October this year,  Timothy Njagi a senior researcher at Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development has said.

The price is likely to go down from the current Sh230 when maize harvest from North Rift starts getting into the market.

Njagi said prices will start decreasing when maize from the long rain season in the North Rift gets into the market.

“Maize harvesting in the South Rift region of Western, parts of Narok and a few pockets of Central has been going on since July and will go on until the end of this month," he said.

"But this may not have a big implication on the maize and maize flour prices because it is not much."

Speaking to the Star on phone on Wednesday, Njagi said the North Rift harvest from the main grain basket areas in Rift Valley will help to stabilise or lower the costs.

A 90kg bag of maize is currently selling at between Sh5,500 to Sh6,000 while a two-kilo packet of maize flour is selling at Sh230.

“After September, maize from the North Rift will be ready for the market from October all through to December," he said.

"This is likely to stabilise or lower the cost of maize and unga. Unga will stabilise to Sh200 per 2kg packet or slightly lower but it will not go higher than that."

According to Kenya’s Food Security Monitoring Committee report of July, 20, the prices of major commodities such as maize, wheat, rice, and beans are expected to be in surplus up to the end of September.

The International Grains Council price indexes show that wheat, rice and maize prices declined by 5.7 per cent, 0.2 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively, while soybeans registered a marginal decrease of 0.1 per cent.

Similarly, the World Food Programme, East Africa Food and Trade Update analysis released in July 2022, and FAO Food Price Index also show that food prices have been decreasing since March despite the ongoing crisis.

"The softening of food prices is generally a result of global responses to ease the supply of these commodities, improved harvests in certain regions," the report reads.

"Continued efforts to unlock supply from Russia and Ukraine and the reversal of export restrictions, particularly from India, which had hitherto worsened the situation."

Source: The Star