Zambia has reversed its decision to export maize to Kenya, just a month after the Kenyan Agriculture Cabinet Secretary announced a deal allowing Zambian farmers to grow maize exclusively for export to Kenya.
Zambia’s Finance Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, explained that due to a shortage of maize, they will need to import maize to supplement their low produce.
To moderate the cost of the grain, Musokotwane has removed taxes and other fees payable on maize imports. The Kenyan Agriculture Cabinet Secretary’s announcement was met with opposition from local farmers, who believed that it would negatively impact prices and maize production in Kenya’s North Rift region.
The Kenya Farmers Association has urged the government to provide farm inputs during the planting season to enable farmers to meet local maize demand instead of importing maize from Zambia.
