Price of green maize soar with new planting season

The cost of green maize in Kenya has increased significantly as supply dwindles following the start of planting season.

Prices of the commodity have almost doubled due to shortage, which started as soon as second harvesting ended in January, paving way for new planting season in March.

Few farmers across the country are currently harvesting the crop, leading to a shortage that has pushed up prices in some areas by over 100 per cent.

Data from various wholesale markets indicate that a 115kg bag of green maize is retailing at between Sh2,520 and Sh5,040. However, prices of the commodity in some parts of the country has hit Sh5,751.

At different wholesale markets in Nairobi, a 115kg bag of the food item is currently going for an average of Sh3,948, up from Sh2,016 in February. In the lakeside town of Kisumu, a similar bag is retailing at Sh2,940, up from Sh2,352 two months ago.

Prices rise sharply in the coastal town of Mombasa, where a 115kg bag of green maize is being sold at Sh6,000. The tourist town is the most hit by high price of the commodity.

Green maize is a delicacy among Kenyans. Most people and families in Nairobi, Central, Rift Valley and Western regions, use the food item to prepare a mixture of maize and beans.

On the other hand, boiled and roasted maize are a delicacy for many people across Kenya. In suburbs in the capital, Kenyans' love for roast and boiled maize has led to upsurge of people selling the food items.

"There is little supply of green maize. In fact, these days when you go to wholesale markets and find the commodity, you count yourself lucky," Grace Mutuku, who runs a grocery in Komarock Nairobi, said on Friday.

Mutuku mainly sells green maize to residents seeking to cook mixture of beans and maize commonly known as githeri or nyoyo. The trader, as many others with the commodity, sells a piece at Sh25. However, sometimes the price rises to Sh30 if the size is bigger.

"I sell the commodity at the price because the cost at the wholesale market is also high. I buy the maize from Wakulima or Gikomba markets on the outskirts of Nairobi central business district, where a piece of green maize is retailing at an average of Sh15, up from Sh9 ," she said.

The rise in cost has made traders who sell boiled or roasted maize in various suburbs in the capital to increase their prices to maximise profits. A piece of full roasted maize is going for between Sh35 and Sh40, up from an average of Sh30.

However, as green maize prices increase, the cost of dry maize has remained stable due to steady supply. A 90kg bag of the commodity is going for an average of Sh2,940 in various markets across the country.

In Nairobi, a 90kg bag of maize is being sold for Sh2,856.The price has almost been constant since the year started following bumper harvest in September last year and January planting seasons. - Xinhua.