Kenya's looming food crisis calls for urgent agricultural reform
Maize (Corn)
Wheat
Rice
Kenya
Published Jun 21, 2023
Tridge summary
Kenya has increasingly relied on imports to bridge the food deficit.
Original content
The escalating cost of food in Kenya has been on an upward trajectory over recent years, with indications the trend will continue in the foreseeable future. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Kenya has experienced a consistent population growth rate of approximately 2.0 percent per annum. However, the production of Kenya's primary staple crops, including maize, wheat, and rice, has exhibited either stagnant or dwindling trends. As per FAOSTAT 2022, the authoritative data unit of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Kenya has witnessed a notable decline in maize production by 25 percent over the past five years, whereas wheat production has demonstrated a relatively stable trend. The estimated annual maize production for the country in 2018 stood at 44.6 million bags, which considerably dwindled to 34.3 million bags by 2022. During the same period, maize imports surged from 88.6 million bags in 2018 to 146.0 million bags in 2022. The cultivation of rice ...
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