The government approved importation of 2.5 million bags of yellow maize last week to ease pressure on the white grain and lower animal feeds prices.
Animal feeds manufactures want the government to expedite shipping in of yellow maize before the window on imports at the Black Sea is closed.
Kenya has been importing yellow maize from Ukraine, which offers non-GMO produce. However, processors say the window will close in two weeks as attention shifts to wheat with the onset of harvesting. They warn that available stocks will be expensive.
“The yellow maize has to be GMO free and the only country that has enough stocks to export is the Ukraine. Further delay in importing would lead to expensive maize because focus will have shifted to wheat handling and shipping,” said Empire Feeds MD John Gathogo yesterday.
The government approved importation of 2.5 million bags of yellow maize last week to ease pressure on the white grain and lower animal feeds prices. However, the process of importation cannot be done until Kenya seeks permission from the East African Community member states for review of the Common External Tariff to allow duty remission as currently the commodity attracts tax.
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