TAXPAYERS FORCED TO DIG DEEPER FOLLOWING RECENT MAIZE FLOUR PRICE SURGE
Alain Origi
Maize flour, one of the most consumed agricultural products locally, has joined a long list of household items boasting inflated prices in 2022.
The current steady price increase seems to meet the prediction of a statement made by Ken Nyaga late last year. The chairman of the United Grain Millers Association (UGMA) in charge of bringing together small scale millers, stated that a shortage of harvested maize was likely to affect maize prices soon.
Popular brands in the sector, including Jogoo and Pembe, are now selling a 2kg packet at Sh 124 and Sh 122, respectively, a price increase of almost thirty shillings compared to last year.
Bags of maize in storage. Photo courtesy
The main factor causing the recent surge, according to millers, is the increase in the purchasing price of maize due to rain shortages affecting harvesting quotas. The 90 kg bag that retailed for as low as Sh 2800 last year, is now selling at Sh 3,500.
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Globally, food shortages following the effects of the pandemic have been rampant with large scale manufacturers forced to decrease production and scale down, subsequently leading to an increase in prices and although this implies that the current inflation of maize flour prices should have been expected, the price change will still pile a lot of pressure on everyday citizens with little to no disposable income facing an ever-increasing cost of living.
