To confront food prices dilemma, control imports

Kisumu residents when they protested ovedr high food prices. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Recently, there has been a vigorous debate by farmers largely from North Rift, our main food basket, urging the government to stop intended food imports, before all domestically produced maize has been sold.

Currently, the price of maize is between Sh5,000 and Sh5,400 per 90 kilogramme bag which translates to between Sh200 and Sh250 per 2 kilogramme of maize flour packet. Rice farmers in Mwea have expressed similar sentiments claiming they will have a harvest big enough to feed the country until the next season, hence no need for importation. But the truth is even in normal years when the country is not affected by drought, Kenya imports about 30 per cent of its maize needs and about 80 per cent of rice needs. Farmers are not generally averse to food imports but they know imports will dampen their producer prices and consumers may prefer cheaper imports.