A section of Murang’a residents have opted to get maize flour from Posho mills after the price of the commodity sky rocketed.
A spot check by KNA in Murang’a town has revealed that many of local residents were now milling their maize as they decried the recent rise of maize flour.
A packet of two-kilogram maize flour which was selling at Sh120 two months ago is now going for more than Sh170.
Prisca Wambui, a maize flour wholesaler dealer in Murang’a town said that her customers were complaining about the high prices of a bale of maize flour forcing them to opt for alternative maize flour from posho mills.
“I used to buy a bale of maize flour at Sh1, 200 and now the same bale of maize flour goes for Sh2, 000,” said Wambui.
According to Wambui, fluctuation of prices has made it difficult in setting the prices at which she sells a bale of maize flour, since the prices kept changing.
Michael Macharia, a maize miller in Mukuyu Murang’a said that National Government should intervene and stabilize prices before there is shortage of maize produce hence interfering with forces of market supply and demand.
“The number of customers I get in a day has increased over the past days because consumers are seeking a cheaper alternative of buying maize flour “said Macharia, adding that the cost of maize flour from a posh mill is approximately Sh60 per kilogram.
Macharia observed that if the current maize crisis persists, the cost is expected to rise even higher due to the serious shortage of maize supply in the county.
Hannah Wacera, a consumer of maize flour said that she prefers to buy her maize flour from posho millers since the prices were affordable and the flour is consumer-friendly.
“I am already grappling with the high cost of buying other basic commodities like cooking oil,” said Wacera, adding that milling maize from a posho mill would save her some money.
She noted that the price hike might have been driven by the pandemic where an attribution on exports from different countries was enforced.
Maize flour is one of the most consumed food products in many households in Murang’a. Residents will have to opt for other options until supply of the commodity in the market improves and prices stabilize.
By Anita Omwenga and Samuel Mwangi
