Post: State to Purchase Entire Stock of Mwea Rice to Facilitate New Harvest Season

Nairobi: The government has announced plans to purchase all rice currently in stock from farmers within the Mwea Irrigation Scheme. This decision aims to clear storage for the upcoming harvest season, addressing concerns over market availability for locally produced rice amidst increasing imports.According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative comes in response to grievances from farmers about the importation of rice, which they claim is overshadowing their locally produced stock. Farmers have also expressed concerns over imported rice being branded to resemble the esteemed Mwea rice, creating unfair competition.The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, led by Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, dispatched a team from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) to address these issues. Bruno Linyiru, Director General of AFA, assured over 8,500 farmers that the KNTC will purchase all available rice and process payments promptly.Linyiru clarified that Mwe a rice targets a different market niche compared to imported varieties and pledged to crack down on traders mislabeling imported rice as premium Mwea rice. He highlighted that Kenya produces 191,000 metric tonnes of milled rice annually, which is insufficient to meet the monthly demand of 100,000 metric tonnes.To bridge this gap, Linyiru mentioned that only 94,000 metric tonnes of rice have been imported since January. He emphasized the government's BETA Plan, which aims to reduce import dependence from 80% to 50%, and noted an increase in local production to 90,000 metric tonnes by 2024.Lucy Anagwe, Managing Director of KNTC, urged farmers to boost production, promising them a reliable market and timely payments. Mwea Rice Growers Manager Anthony Waweru confirmed the government's commitment to purchasing the rice stock within 30 days and ensuring payments are completed within the same timeframe.Waweru also expressed gratitude to the government for its support, particularly in providing subsidized ferti lizers to farmers.