A report from Nairobi says that the supply of maize, one of the staple foods in East Africa, from Uganda to Kenya has declined to as low as 4.5 tons per day, compared with 500 tons per day in May and June. An analysis by experts of raw data from Ratin, a daily tracker of trade across the borders, shows that last month, 1,324 tons of maize came into Kenya from Uganda as against 11,828 tons in June and 8,545 tons in May.
According to the report, from June to mid-August, a total of 21,697 tons of maize moved from Uganda to Kenya and another 6,562 tons moved from Uganda to Rwanda. Uganda is believed to have the lowest retail price for a ton of maize in the region at $102 in upcountry towns and $122 in Kampala.
Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania, in that order, have the highest prices for the grain which retails at $397, $380 and $307 per ton respectively in their capital cities. The largest bulk of maize from Uganda to Kenya came through the Busia border and a few tons came in through Malaba and Lwakhakha towns.
Tanzania also exports maize to Kenya through the Isebania border whereas Kenya consumes all of its own maize products without exporting any of it. Tanzanian officials explained that the continued export of maize was aimed at curbing practices that affected food security. It was also meant to encourage the addition of value to agricultural production.
Experts have suggested that the current decline in maize shipments in East Africa warrants the meeting of the officials of the Agriculture Ministries with food experts versed in the analysis of data to recommend the way forward for the sub-region.
