In a bid to cushion Kenyans from high prices of maize flour and avert a food crisis, the government through Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u has announced duty waivers for importers of white maize grain and white Grade 1 milled rice.
According to a gazette notice issued on Friday, registered millers and traders will be allowed to import up to 500,000 metric tons of white maize grain from March 2023 to 6th August 2023 without paying import duty. The move is in line with section 114 (2) of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004.
However, the imported maize grain must meet certain quality standards such as moisture content not exceeding 13.5%, aflatoxin levels not exceeding 10 parts per billion (ppb), and certification by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the Department of Public Health.
The Treasury CS also granted an import duty waiver for traders to import up to 500,000 metric tons of white Grade 1 milled rice as an alternative starch source for Kenyans. The waiver applies to rice imported on or before the 6th August 2023.
The imported white milled rice Grade 1 must be in accordance with international and national food/rice standards and Kenyan standards applicable under the laws of Kenya and implemented by the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Similar to the maize grain imports, the rice must also be accompanied by a certificate of conformity issued by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
These measures are aimed at addressing the impending food crisis and ensuring food security for Kenyans. The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning has urged traders and millers to take advantage of the Import Duty Waiver and ensure compliance with the set standards and conditions for the imports.
The decision comes after Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi warned of an impending maize crisis in the country due to drought, pests, diseases and high production costs. He said that the country’s maize stocks were expected to run out by April 2023.
Linturi also revealed that the government had signed a deal with Zambia to allow Kenyan farmers to grow maize there for export back home. He said that Zambia had offered land and favourable conditions for maize production.
Some farmers’ groups, however, expressed concern over the impact of maize imports on local production and food security. They also opposed the government’s push for genetically modified (GMO) maize varieties, saying they posed health and environmental risks.
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