NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 29 – Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has projected that the country will experience an acute maize shortage from March next year.
A statement read on his behalf by the National Assembly Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah indicated that this is due to our consecutive failed rainy seasons.
The Ministry is also seeking Cabinet Approval to import 900,000 metric tonnes of duty-free maize to avert projected hunger crisis from March next year.
Linturi described the situation as dire with many families expected to be affected by the situation.
The Agriculture CS further indicated that the country will not be importing maize until February and April next year.
He stated that the imports would only follow after a review establishes there are deficits.
The statement comes amid an uproar from Rift Valley and Western MPs who have trained their guns on Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria over plans to import 10 million tonnes of duty-free GMO maize when local farmers are harvesting the crop.
Kuria over the weekend accused farmers in one country’s bread basket regions in the North Rift of hoarding their produce hence causing a food shortage.
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