Cheaper maize is expected to arrive in the country by the first week of April.

This is according to Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi, who also said the country has already received some maize from Ethiopia.

Linturi noted that even though the quantity was minimal, which he said was 2,000 tonnes, the country will flood with maize and rice in a month’s time, and the price of unga will come down.

“In the month of April, we expect more maize coming in. For now, we have received very little from Ethiopia by two companies. The quantity so far is very minimal, actually just 2,000 tonnes...in another one month, we will have flooded this country with maize and rice,” Linturi said.

The Agriculture CS also said there was enough fertiliser in the country required for planting.

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He said the government targets to distribute about 5.4 million bags of subsidised fertiliser to farmers in readiness for the long rainy season, and about 1.2 million bags have already reached some farmers.

“In terms of fertiliser that is required for planting, which is immediate, we have enough. By the time we get to the next phase of top dressing, the other fertiliser will have come,” the CS said.

Linturi added that he has been in talks with investors in the neighbouring country of Tanzania to ship at least 200,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers to Kenya.

“You have seen me going to Tanzania...I have written to the minister for Tanzania to seek exemption for the investor who is producing fertiliser in Tanzania. I have asked them to give me authority to authorise him ship in at least 200,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser in the country,” Linturi said.

The CS also said Kenya was considering the idea of contracting Zambian farmers to grow their maize in Kenya to address the effects of drought.

“If we can register farmers for contract farming, the farmers in Zambia under the plan I have, we could have more than enough maize in another six months because it will have been grown with the understanding they are destined for Kenya,” Linturi said.