2013 Kenya Corn, Wheat, and Rice Report
Report Highlights:
Kenya will continue to import wheat, corn, and rice in marketing year (MY) 2013/2014 due to increased demand that continues to exceed domestic production. Consumption patterns of corn, wheat and rice are expected to increase because of population growth, increased urbanization, and growth in the food service sector.
Corn:
FAS/Nairobi estimates Kenya’s corn production to decrease in 2013/2014 marketing year (MY) compared to MY 2012/2013 as per year-over-year Post data. The decrease is anticipated because of:
an overall decrease in area cultivated;
delayed and inadequate supply of government subsidized fertilizer at planting;
an increase price of corn seed by 20 percent over the previous year;
spiking diesel prices, 4 percent increase in March alone, the start of the planting season;
political uncertainty as elections fell during planting season; and
potential for Maize Lethal Necrotic Virus outbreak to affect the corn crop.
The high cost of farm inputs will likely reduce acreage under the crop as well as result in lower than optimal use of the inputs. Inadequate use of fertilizer at planting ultimately reduces the crop yields. In addition, some farmers others adopted a “wait-and see” attitude during the election cycle because of previous disruptions and violence from the 2007 election which delayed land preparation and planting.
