East Africa Regional Grain Trade Analysis for the Week Ending 22nd June 2018

Figure 1 East Africa Regional Grain Trade Flow for the Week Ending 22nd June 2018

The Week’s Market Analysis

  • Kenya imported a lot of maize from Uganda, the maize was mostly destined for Mombasa, Kenya. The millers are taking advantage of the low prices in Uganda to stock up for future maize requirements.  The same pattern was observed with their counterparts in Tanzania who imported 2,555MT of maize from Zambia.
  • There are unconfirmed reports of farmers in North Rift and Kitale throwing away maize because of lack of markets, and some instance of maize getting spolit due to poor ineffective pesticide that was distributed to farmers. The maize market in Kenya continues to really work against Kenya farmers, due to inefficiencies within Kenya’s National Produce and Cereal Board, and inability to compete with Uganda’s low cost maize production.
  • Uganda exported a lot more beans to DRC, red beans (1,278.96MT), and yellow beans (289.11MT).
  • Tanzania exported 3,172MT of rice to Uganda.
  • The price of green grams continues to drop in the Nairobi market, with many Nairobi traders offering buying prices of Ksh50/kg last the week with expected drops of up to Kshs40/kg this week. There are unfirmed reports that brokers were offering farm gate prices of Ksh30/kg. Farmers in Ukambani and Meru should consider selling their green grams in Eldoret, Kenya which reported the highest market price.  We have also received various request to export green grams to Malawi, there seem to be a demand for green grams.  India is still not importing green grams from Kenya.

 The Week’s Market Prices for Select Markets

Table 1- Market Prices for Select Markets in the East Africa Region for the Week Ending 22  June  2018, US$1=Ksh100.86

The Week’s Market Opportunities

Betta Grains continues to receive various request to buy and sell commodities.  Below is a table listing some of our clients request to find buyers and sellers.  Kindly visit our eDuka page https://www.bettagrains.com/?page_id=1236 for a more up to date list.

Author; Fostina Mani, Betta Grains. Fostina.Mani@bettagrains.com, Twitter: @FostinaMani.

 Acknowledgment:  The data used for the analysis has been obtained from; IAM, Government of Kenya, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries, Government of Tanzania, Ministry of Trade and Industry, EAGC, RATIN, Farm Gain Uganda, FEWS NET,  & Betta Grains. 

 Disclaimer. Due to unavailable of data on various border points on formal cross-border trade flows and volumes in the public arena.  The volumes indicated above are mostly from the informal cross-border data that is available to the public.  The purpose of the analysis, is simply to provide an indication of the East Africa Regional Trade flow to SMEs, Smallholder Farmers, and Other Stakeholders in a manner and language that is applicable, simple, and makes sense. Those desiring to obtain actual trade volumes are advised to contact various internationally funded government projects that have been mandated to provide the regional trade data for public good.

©Betta Grains 2018