May 26, 2009
Huge imports of duty-free corn arrive at Kenyan port
Large-scale imports of duty-free corn, aimed at easing a severe food shortage in Kenya, have started to arrive at the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa, the Daily Nation newspaper reported Monday (May 25).
Agriculture permanent secretary Romano Kiome told journalists Sunday: "At the moment there is a ship which is offloading 33,000 tonnes of corn, which was imported by the private sector. We expect 1.5 million bags of corn before the end of the month," the daily quoted Kiome as saying.
From this month up to July, when the duty-free provision ends, Kiome said, the country would be receiving 1.5 million bags of imported corn every month to alleviate a shortage.
