Price Of Wheat Flour Hit Record High As Global Wheat Shortage Looms

The rising cost of wheat flour in Kenya has been attributed to the high cost of wheat in the international market.

At the moment, a 2-kilogramme of wheat flour retails for KSh 200 for the first time in four years.

The price of wheat has gone up from KSh 61,331 for a tonne in April 1 to KSh 78,756 at the moment even as the market responds to a tightening supply globally.

Ajab wheat flour has gone up from KSh 168 in April to KSh 202 while Dola is retailing at KSh 194 from KSh 160.

On the other hand, Ndovu is going for KSh 190 from KSh 165 in April.

Kenya relies on global wheat supply to meet the local demand.

This comes barely a week after India banned exports of wheat effective immediately citing a risk to food security due to the war in Ukraine.

India also cited the scorching heatwave curtailed output and domestic prices hit a record high.

However, the government clarified that it would still allow exports backed by already issued letters of credit and to countries that request supplies to meet their food security needs.

Wheat prices in India have risen to record highs, in some spot markets hitting KSh 37,600 per tonne above the government’s minimum support price of KSh 30,300.

“It was not wheat alone. The rise in overall prices raised concerns about inflation and that’s why the government had to ban wheat exports. For us, it’s abundance of caution,” a senior government official told CNN.