Posted on October, 9, 2024 at 10:21 am
Agriculture Principal Secretary Kipronoh Ronoh on Tuesday attributed the significant drop in maize flour prices to the increased production of maize in 2024.
He noted that a bag of maize had dropped to as low as Ksh3,200 pushing retail prices for maize flour from a high of Ksh250 in 2022.
“The increased availability of staple foods has led to lower maize prices of Ksh3,200 per 90kg bag and a significant reduction in flour prices from Ksh250 in September 2022 to Ksh120 in September 2024,” Ronoh noted.
Compared to the previous year which recorded maize production totaling 45 million 90kg bags of maize, the production rose by a whopping 43 per cent to 70 million 90kg bags in 2024.
Speaking at his Kilimo office, Ronoh credited the fertiliser subsidy program for this remarkable growth which he noted reduced the number of Kenyans experiencing food insecurity from 1.9 million to 1 million.
This, the PS explained, was at par with the government’s plan to provide high-quality and affordable services to smallholder farmers which is key to agricultural transformation and improving the living standards of the Kenyan population relying on farming.
“In the past, we have faced challenges such as high input costs, climate change, prolonged droughts, floods, and limited access to financial services, but have made significant strides,” he stated referring to previous years when the maize production has been wanting.
He also spoke on the government’s plan to promote the use of technology and innovation among both agriculture and livestock farmers to maximise production in line with realising the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
“To enhance service delivery, a digital farmer registration platform to support access to subsidised inputs like fertilizers, with currently over 6.45 million farmers enrolled, up from 1.3 million in 2022,” he affirmed.
Further commending the government for the price drop, he acknowledged its efforts in operationalising the National Food Reserve at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), which aims to cushion the country against future food shortages and ensure affordable access to food for all Kenyans.
“Small-scale farmers in the country are set to reduce post-harvest losses by utilizing the new Warehouse Receipt System (WRS), which will allow them to store their produce in certified warehouses while awaiting favorable market prices and enhance food security by reducing post-harvest losses, which account for 40% of the food produced in the country,” The PS added.
Other entities attributed to this drop were the development agencies, partners, corporates, and non-governmental organisations that collaborated with the government to enhance food security.
Other agricultural sectors that recorded significant increases in 2024 include the tea export revenue with a 16% increase.
In the same vein, the government has started rolling out edible oil projects expected to reduce imports by 50% by 2027 as well as coffee reforms targeting an increase in productivity from 2kg/tree to 10kg/tree by 2027.
Source: Kenyans