Agriculture cabinet secretary Mithika Linturi has given millers seven days ultimatum to import maize or have their duty-free importation licenses revoked.

“Next week on 30th, those people that will not have given us proof that there’s something we’re waiting for, then all those licenses will not be valid,” said CS Linturi.

Speaking to a section of millers on Tuesday, Linturi warned unscrupulous millers and traders allegedly importing maize and rice under the tax waiver quota and re-exporting them to the neighboring countries where they are fetching higher prices.

“Some of you are exporting maize and rice to South Sudan and Tanzania. As we sit here, we have even impounded some of these commodities under our custody,” he said.

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Linturi warned that the government would not allow any grain imported under the duty-free program to exit to other countries, adding that anyone found guilty will face the law.

“There is no country that will allow its millers to export food produce while its own country lacks food…and that’s why out there they are denying you theirs because they must feed their very own,” added Linturi.

The Ministry of Agriculture last year allowed millers and traders to import 1.5 metric tonnes of white duty-free maize and rice to bring down maize flour prices.

So far, only 90,621 MT of maize and 95,381 MT of rice have arrived in the country, according to official data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

The CS blamed millers and traders for the underperformance, given that less than 10 percent of the commodities have been imported since December last year when the import waiver was granted.

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Millers in January had, however, decried the lack of clarity from the government on the quantity of maize each will be allowed to ship in and the criteria that will be used in the allocation quota.

“We cannot make any orders now without clarity on the type of maize that we should import and the quantities that each miller should be allowed to ship in the country,” said Aggarwal Atin, CEO of Trident Millers.

Millers say after making an order, it takes at least 45 days for the consignment to arrive in the country, adding that clarity delays would lead to delays in the importation of the grains.

Linturi said no extension of the duty waiver licenses would be allowed beyond August 2023, when local farmers are expected to harvest their yields.