Raila: Why Prices Of Unga Will Not Fall Despite Fertilizer Subsidy
Raila Odinga, the leader of Azimio la Umoja, has dismissed President William Ruto’s economic interventions intended to reduce the high cost of living.
On Friday, September 15, while speaking to the press, Raila stated that Ruto’s intervention in the agricultural sector is one of the most ambiguous and will not have a significant impact on the cost of living.
Despite an anticipated bountiful harvest, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) urged Kenyans to prepare for rising unga (corn flour) prices.
“As long as the government has not resolved the price of food and fuel, the cost of living will not come down. No amount of fertilizer will lower the cost of food as long as the cost of fuel remains unchecked,” Raila claimed.
According to Raila, the Kenya Kwanza administration should have reduced the price of petroleum used by farmers to power their tractors, harvesting equipment, and other machinery.
He explained that when fuel prices increase, so do production costs. This can make it more difficult for farmers to earn a profit, and they may be compelled to pass along the higher costs to consumers in the form of higher agricultural product prices.
The former prime minister remarked that farmers may be compelled to reduce the quantity of land they cultivate or the number of crops they sow, resulting in lower yields and higher costs.
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“Diesel is one of the highest costs in farming. Even if you give the citizen a bag of fertilizer but make it impossible for her or him to plow an acre of land, you have not solved the problem,” Raila warned.
Even the transportation of food products, particularly corn, from farms to markets will be more expensive, thereby increasing the price of agricultural products for consumers.
Additionally, Raila remarked that the newly announced petroleum prices will likely contribute to inflation, which is a general rise in prices. This can increase the price of sustenance for everyone, including imported agricultural products.
“With the shilling tanking, the grains – like maize, wheat, and rice that we import have increased 25 percent.
“As the economy has suffered, another grand betrayal of the dreams and aspirations of our country has unfolded silently in other sectors,” Raila claimed.
The leader of the ODM party stated that maize is a staple diet and the country’s most important agricultural product.
He stated that the high cost of fuel is a significant obstacle for maize producers and is one of the contributing factors to the recent increase in maize prices.
Raila: Why Prices Of Unga Will Not Fall Despite Fertilizer Subsidy
