Relief is in sight, however.
Abundant rains in late March and April have resulted in favourable early prospects for the 1997 main long rains cereal crop, to be harvested from October in the main growing areas. Providing good weather continues throughout the growing season, yields and production should increase substantially over last year's levels because of greater use of agricultural inputs, such as improved seed and fertilizer. Despite skyrocketing prices of maize, the prices of inputs have remained stable, and even decreased in some regions. Prices soar as stocks dwindle At the end of April, the price of maize in the Nairobi market had risen to more than twice the level a year ago while bean prices had tripled. The increase in food prices is well above the general inflation figures in the country, estimated at 9 percent in 1996 and projected at 15 percent for 1997.