Gov't announces 50% duty waiver on yellow maize imports to lower unga prices

According to a statement issued by Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe, the intervention will address the growing demand for unga amid limited maize grain stocks available in the country. 

It will also reduce pressure on the white maize stocks by shifting animal feed millers to yellow maize.

According to Kagwe, this will allow millers focused on human consumption to access available maize at affordable prices, leading to lower production costs and more stable unga prices. 

The CS reassured the public that the imported yellow maize would be non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). 

He noted that the increased demand led to a 26 per cent price increase for a 90-kilogram bag of maize in the past three months. 

"This upward trend in maize prices has directly impacted the cost of production, prompting millers to pass the increased costs onto consumers through higher prices of maize flour (unga)," CS Kagwe stated. 

He added that the initiative would be carried out by a vetted list of qualified animal feed millers with sufficient capacity. 

"Looking ahead, I urge our farmers to consider the cultivation of yellow maize to meet the domestic demand of over 1 million metric tonnes required annually by the animal feed industry. This shift will help reduce dependency on imports and contribute positively to our economy," the CS added.