• Maize grain remained the most traded commodity in the region in the first quarter of 2022 between January and March as shown in Figure 1. Wheat and maize flour surpassed dry beans as the second and third most traded commodities in the region while, rice, sugar, and sorghum were significantly traded.
• Regional trade in maize, sorghum, rice, and dry beans was above average driven by above-average prices in deficit countries including Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, South Sudan,
  Eritrea, and Djibouti which attracted supplies from the main surplus countries of Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
• The prices of staple food commodities followed seasonal patterns but were elevated because of below-average harvest, supported by high inflation as COVID-related pent-up demand drove up prices, in addition to high oil, wheat, and flour prices due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
• Livestock trade between Ethiopia and Somalia declined because of a prolonged drought that reduced the number of quality animals in the market, but trade increased between Somalia and Kenya due to demand by large ranches for animal fattening for the April-to-July religious festivities.

Source: World Food Programme