Mithika Linturi, the cabinet secretary for agriculture, has refuted assertions made by Moses Kuria, the cabinet secretary for trade, that the nation needed to purchase maize due to a scarcity.
On Monday, November 28, Linturi made it clear in a speech to the Council of Governors that the Ministry's data did not show any supply shortfalls that called for a boost from foreign markets.
He gave the county heads reassurance that there was enough food for everyone in Kenya.
"Unwind; meals will be served. I will provide a more thorough report on the national food status since I am in charge of it and have access to all the information "As Linturi said.
The Agriculture CS dismissed Kuria's urgent appeal to farmers to sell their harvest to millers before the government forsakes them in favor of overseas markets.
He stated that one can only sell what is left after one's own personal requirements have been satisfied in order to defend farmers against charges of hoarding maize.
Linturi criticized the Trade CS for promoting the import of genetically modified organism (GMO) maize, saying that a quality food supply should go hand in hand with an adequate supply.
"It is not legal to make you sell your produce. The CS stated that the government was working to guarantee food security and that it had the proper nutritional value for the population.
Additionally, he promised Kenyans that the price of maize, a basic food in most homes, would decrease.
On November 28, Kuria argued that despite the hoarding of the grain, the nation still lacked sufficient maize production.
"Linturi told me that even if all the maize is freed, there will still be a shortfall of 15 million people. What are we going to do when it's finished?" He made a call.
The outspoken CS insisted that November 2023 would be the earliest that maize flour prices would decrease.
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