News

Millers say no unga price relief until July

unga

A supermarket attendant stocks a maize flour shelf. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Maize flour (unga) prices are unlikely to come down until July when the stock of grain available locally is expected to meet the country’s needs, millers said, setting up consumers for two and half more months of pain at the shop.

Industry lobby, the Cereal Millers Association (CMA), said in a statement that the steep rise in the staple’s prices is the result of a severe scarcity that is unlikely to be resolved until enough imported stocks land in the country.

The CMA said the consignment of maize expected to land in Mombasa today is not sufficient to stop ongoing price inflation.

“Since in the initial weeks of the import programme some millers will have access to imported maize and others will not, the CMA does not expect maize flour prices to stabilise until adequate imported grain stocks are distributed across all the mills,” said the statement.

“This is expected to be in late June or early July. When this happens, prices are expected to settle at the Sh125-135 per two kilo packet range.”

A two-kilogramme packet of flour is currently retailing at an average of Sh150, up from Sh90 last November. Millers reckon that most of them will continue to purchase maize at the prevailing high market rates until there is sufficient supplies.

“These prices (market price) are significantly higher than the cost of the recently released government maize,” The CMA said.

READ: Flour scarcity hits retailers as millers run out of maize

The first consignment of Mexican maize is expected to land in Kenya at a price of between Sh3,500 and Sh4,400 per 90kg bag.  

Pricing of the maize depends on volumes purchased and timing of the purchase, the millers said in a response to the food rage that has seen some commentators blame them for artificially causing the price inflation by hoarding the maize.

The millers said that the worsening scarcity of grains has continued to pile pressure on maize, which is now retailing at between Sh4,300 and Sh4,500 per 90kg bag.

“Some millers are unable to produce enough maize flour to meet customer demand — they either do not have access to adequate grain or are unable to compete with the prevailing market prices,” the statement said.

The millers said the inflow of Ethiopian maize, which was expected to ease the shortage, slowed down in the past week having brought to the market limited quantities that are priced at between Sh4,200 and Sh4,400 per 90kg bag.

Kenya is among the East African countries that signed a deal with Ethiopia to buy grain worth Sh5.5 billion, to help ease the acute shortage.