April 2, 2025

Government to purchase maize at Ksh3,500 after increased harvest

Government to purchase maize at Ksh3,500 after increased harvest

Government announces plan to purchase 1 million bags of maize at Ksh3,500 each

Government announces plan to purchase 1 million bags of maize at Ksh3,500 each.

The government is set to buy one million bags of maize at Ksh3,500 per 90kg bag to the tune of Ksh3.5 billion.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Andrew Karanja in a statement asserted that the move is aimed at building the country’s national strategic food reserve, which is currently at 30 per cent of the proposed food quantities.

In addition, the move also seeks to boost farmers in line with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and uplift the profit margins of farmers in the country.

According to the circular that was issued on Thursday, October 31, the set purchase price is aimed at stabilizing the price of unga in the country. The current price of unga according to the CS is Ksh130 per 2kg packet.

The Ministry of Agriculture added that the long rains witnessed in 2024 have positively boosted maize production as projections indicate that the country will have 75,972,332 bags of 50kg maize.

“We are very excited about the expected bumper harvest because this will ensure the country has adequate food,” CS Karanja noted.

The new price is a reduction from the Ksh4,000 price earlier this year, down from Ksh4,500 in 2023 which has been influenced by the rising number of maize harvests in the last two years.

Apply the same speed you used to impeach me to work for Kenyans; Gachagua tells MPs

Woman found dead in 3-bedroom house

Ruto revives plans to privatize KICC and 10 other parastatals in a memo to IMF

Severely mutilated female body found dumped on roadside in Langata

Miguna Miguna offers Gachagua advice after Kindiki’s swearing-in

Gachagua removes ‘Deputy President’ title from his X, Facebook accounts

Recent market data shows that maize prices have been fluctuating due to various factors, including high input costs and unpredictable weather patterns. 

However, farmers have for long advocated for stable prices from the government as they seek to get value from their produce. The government has in its defense argued that budgetary constraints and the volatile nature of the global economy as some of the reasons behind the price fluctuations. 

The new development looks to deal a big blow to farmers who had harbored hopes of an increase in the government purchase price. The farmers were looking into getting more profits amidst the bumper harvest that they were looking forward to.

Meanwhile, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) recently announced that the price of 2kg fortified and sifted maize flour decreased by 1.7 percent and 1.8 percent respectively in the month of October.

According to KNBS, the reduction in the price of the above commodities contributed to the decline in the inflation labels from 3.6 percent in September to 2.7 percent in October this year.

Also read,

David Ndii takes a swipe at IMF over Kenya’s G2G oil deal

IMF questions Ruto’s Ksh210 billion G2G oil deal with Gulf nations

Former Cabinet Minister dies in hospital

Senators to investigate Safaricom over concerns of data breach

Every eligible entity must pay taxes, Ruto insists

Government launches probe after woman dies in hospital following cosmetic surgery

Follow us

FaceBook

Telegram

error: Content is protected !!