Kenya has experienced what can be termed as perennial food shortages since the last bumper harvest of 2006/07. The government, the private sector and the farmers have attempted many means to avert the dwindling production figures albeit with very little success. The government interventions are a move towards the right direction but the country can be more food secure if and when the interventions are accompanied with good rainfall or when irrigation is made a reality in the country.

By April/May 2010, Kenya’s national food security status can be termed as OK for at least up to August 2010, when the country shall experience a deficit of about 7 million bags of 90 kgs. The country needs to come up with different ways of mitigating this shortfall well in advance, so that the country can feed itself for the period of two months, September and October 2010. North Rift, the grain basket of the country, is expected to harvest as from November this year, and this will take over from the mitigation measures of the previous two months.

Positive effects of government subsidies, especially on fertilizers, are being felt in most parts of the country although farmers feel the government should do more. Farmers would like the government to avail the subsidised fertilizers ahead of time to avoid delayed planting that consequently affects production. They not only want the fertilizers to be made available, but they also want the fertilizers to be available in satisfactory quantities. The subsidised fertilizer went out of stock this season even before most farmers acquired the input. As a long-term measure of dealing with the food woes, farmers and other stakeholders want irrigation to be made a reality in this country.

Reforms at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) are long overdue and the faster they are implemented, the better for all the sector stakeholders including consumers. The introduction of warehouse receipt system, the sponsoring of Kenya Agricultural Commodity Exchange and the enactment of warehouse act will go along way in streamlining the grain subsector and enhancing fair market competition which will definitely be beneficial to the country at large.