Kenya Relies On 92% Of Imported Wheat, Only Produces 8% Locally

By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

A recent report by the Agricultural Food Authority (AFA), has revealed that Kenya produces just 8% of the wheat it consumes annually, forcing the country to import the remaining 92%.

Despite ongoing efforts to boost local production, the demand for wheat has continued to rise, necessitating large-scale imports from key suppliers such as Russia, Ukraine, and the European Union.

In 2023, Kenya’s wheat output was recorded at 135,000 metric tonnes, significantly lower than the national consumption of 2.2 million metric tonnes.

The report indicates that demand has been steadily increasing over the past five years.

According to AFA, several factors have contributed to low domestic wheat production, including high production costs, stagnant farm-gate prices, low yields, land subdivision, and short-term land leases that make it difficult to adopt modern farming techniques such as Conservation Agriculture.

The primary wheat-growing regions in Kenya are Upper Narok and Timau.

From July 2024 to March 2025, the country imported 15 million bags of wheat, while only 321,596 bags came from local farmers and marketing agents.

In response to these challenges, the government has introduced measures such as subsidized fertilizers, enforcement of minimum guaranteed prices, e-Extension services, soil testing, and improved seed varieties to enhance productivity.

To support local farmers, the government has implemented the Wheat Purchase Scheme (WPS), which mandates millers to buy all locally grown wheat at a set price.

Additionally, millers are required to pay a 10% import duty while being allocated import quotas based on their local wheat purchases.

Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe assured farmers that 321,000 bags of wheat stuck in storage would be cleared.

His announcement came in response to protests by wheat farmers in Narok County, who claim that market manipulation by influential individuals has hindered their ability to sell their produce.

Kagwe also warned that any attempts to undermine government interventions would be met with legal action. He emphasized that the state is focused on reducing wheat imports and increasing local production from the current 8% to over 40% of the total demand.