Relief at the Breakfast Table as First Ukraine Wheat Export Arrives

Kenyan households are looking at a more affordable breakfast after Ukraine exported wheat into the country, for the first time last week, since Russia launched an attack on the eastern European nation.

Scarcity of wheat had seen an increase in the cost of bread, a staple breakfast for many households.

However, with the resumption of wheat exports by Ukraine, consumers expect breakfast to become more affordable thereby easing the cost of living.

The Ukraine consulate in Mombasa said a ship carrying 51,400 tonnes of wheat has docked in Mombasa awaiting offloading and distribution.

It announced that the Port of Mombasa had received the first bulk carrier with Ukrainian wheat since Russia launched a military invasion against Ukraine in February.

“The wheat will be offloaded from the ‘Super Henry’ vessel for the commercial use in Kenya after a long lull following the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia,” a statement from the Consulate said in part.

This comes at a time when the prices of other commodities like fuel and milk have also gone up, raising the cost of breakfast for consumers grappling with high cost of living. Also driving up the cost of living are high food and oil prices.

“It is expected that high representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine in Kenya and the County government of Mombasa will attend the offloading of the ship to stress the importance of keeping an uninterrupted supply of grain and other agricultural commodities from Ukraine to Kenya,” said the consulate.

Kenya imported about 2.4 million tonnes of wheat in 2021 to supplement domestic production, the grain milling industry said on Wednesday.

Speaking to Xinhua, Paloma Fernandes, CEO of the Cereal Miller Association said that local farmers were only able to produce 100,000 tonness of the grains last year.

“We will continue to rely on imports as farmers cannot meet local consumption needs,” she said on the sidelines of a multi-stakeholder workshop on the fortification of wheat and maize flour.