Nyeri: Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has assured local rice farmers that the government will purchase all available rice in their stores before allowing rice imports into the country. Speaking at the Kenya School of Agriculture in Nyeri, Kagwe emphasized that the government will prioritize acquiring rice from local farmers before introducing 500,000 metric tonnes of Grade 1 milled white rice from abroad.
According to Kenya News Agency, Kagwe noted the country's annual demand for rice is approximately 1.3 million metric tonnes, while local production from the major rice-growing regions of Ahero, Mwea, and Bura only contributes about 264,000 metric tonnes annually. This local production accounts for roughly 20 percent of the country's rice needs. Kagwe addressed concerns from rice farmers about potential negative impacts of imports on the local industry, clarifying that rice importation is not unprecedented and the government has previously imported rice to address supply shortfalls.
Kagwe highlighted that, over the past three years, Kenya imported nearly 700,000 metric tonnes of rice to cover the gap left by insufficient local production. He urged farmers to remain calm and not be swayed by misinformation, asserting that his ministry is committed to protecting farmers' interests. Kagwe also defended the cabinet's decision to import rice, arguing that such measures are necessary to stabilize food prices and prevent price hikes of other staple foods like maize and wheat.
Kagwe emphasized the importance of balancing local production with consumer affordability, ensuring that both farmers and consumers are protected from adverse economic impacts. He stated that the government aims to maintain a system where farmers are compensated fairly for their produce while consumers can access affordable rice.
Data from the Agriculture and Agriculture Authority indicates a 69,000 metric tonne increase in local rice production from 2022 to 2024. However, despite these gains, local production in 2024 only covered 20.47 percent of the national demand, necessitating the importation of 740,000 metric tonnes to fill the gap. Kagwe mentioned that the government, with Japanese support, is working to enhance production in the key rice-growing regions to reduce dependency on imports in the future.