Kenya’s rice status: What the numbers show

Farmers in Kenya are facing losses as rice stocks remain unsold amid imports.

On Friday, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe warned that the country is staring at a possible spike in food prices and an acute rice shortage if the courts uphold a petition seeking to block the importation of 500,000 tonnes of duty-free rice.

According to Kagwe, Kenya's annual demand for rice stands at about 1.3 million tonnes against a domestic production of just 20 per cent, leaving a deficit of more than 80 per cent, roughly 1 million tonnes that is bridged mainly through imports.