Local  company launches production of maize flour in Juba

The Kanybet Company on Saturday launched local maize and wheat flour production in Juba to reduce the country’s overdependence on imported food from neighbouring East African countries.

Speaking to the media after the launch, the managing director of Kanybet Company, Godfrey Kape, noted that there are high prices for food commodities because the country is relying on imports.

Kape said the maize flour expected to be produced by the company would be supplied nationwide to fight food crisis.

“We need to reduce the burden of importing unhealthy foods into the country and the economic crisis on our people. That’s why we are producing the local maize flour,” Kape said.

“There are a lot of challenges that we are facing in the process of production, but that will never stop us from delivering the service to the people in the country. We are ready to reduce the ratio, and automatically the maize flour will be at a low price, and our economy will be normal,” he stated.

Kape said the company normally buys its maize and wheat from farmers in Yei and Magwi counties.

“Our work is to grind the maize and put it in bags, all we need is to change the narrative of importing from neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Kenya.”

He said most of the citizens are consuming maize flour that is being imported from neighbouring countries.

Last week, the South Sudan Bureau of National Standards confirmed that most of the maize that is coming from other countries is not healthy for human consumption due to high aflatoxin levels.

Kape said the local production of the flour will encourage the local farmers to cultivate more maize as the company will provide a market for their product.

“We want to avail ourselves of affordable maize flour in order for the traders not to go to Uganda to import but to buy local from within the country.”

According to Kape, the demand for maize flour is very high in Western Equatoria State, and he encouraged the local farmers across the country to cultivate more maize and wheat.

South Sudan is heavily relying on imported foodstuff as local production is still facing various challenges. Some of them are inter-communal conflicts that bring about instability in rather agriculturally productive areas that can serve as the bread baskets.