NATIONAL FOOD BALANCE SHEET DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The Government of the Republic of Kenya through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives and the Council of Governors has released an update on the national Food Balance Sheet with projected stocks up to June 31, 2020.
General Food Situation
Kenya is ready to feed its population. The Government has defined staple foods as: Cassava, Irish potato, Rice, Maize, Pulses, Wheat, Bananas (matoke), Millet, Sorghum, Milk, Meat, Fish, Local vegetables, Fortified food and Water. Projections currently indicate sufficiency across all value chains.
MAIZE: estimated surplus of 3,450,869 90kgs bags as at June 31, 2020.
The Government calls on private sector to buy maize from farmers directly to ensure a continuous flow to the market maintaining fair prices for both farmers and consumers. Importers will be facilitated for conditional importation of 2 million bags of white maize for food. And 2 million bags of yellow maize for animal feed between May 1 and September 30, 2020.
BEANS: estimated surplus of surplus 2,577,915 90kgs bags as at June 31, 2020.
WHEAT: estimated surplus of 737,822 90kgs bags as at June 31, 2020.
RICE: estimated surplus of 411,580 90kg-bags as at June 31, 2020.
The market price has now stabilized at KES 140/= per kilo.
SORGHUM: estimated surplus of 455,716 90kg-bags as at June 31, 2020.
MILLET: estimated surplus of 63,623 90kg-bags as at June 31, 2020
GREEN GRAMS: estimated surplus of 998,326 90kg-bags as at June 31, 2020.
MILK: estimated surplus of 4,389,102 liters of UHT milk and 1,411,863 kgs of powdered milk as at June 31, 2020.
Food Production during the long rains
With the long rain in progress, the government has called upon farmers and other stakeholders to intensify production in preparation for coming days in what promises to be a protracted global crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farmers can continue to purchase and access DAP and NPK fertilizers at subsidized rates of 2,300 per 50kg bag from the KNTC depots across the country (Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kitale, Kisumu, Karatina, Meru, Kapsabet, Wote and Machakos).
Coffee Farmers can also access organic hyper phosphate fertilizer from same stores.
For more information:
COVID-19 Food Security War Room Hotline: 0800724891
Email: foodsecurity.covid-19@kilimo.go.ke