Destination Point Kenya

The sector recorded significant decreases in the production of tea, wheat, sugar cane and maize. Overall marketed production declined by 13.5 per cent. The slow down in the sector has been contributed by the inefficiencies in major processing and marketing organisations, coupled with insufficient rainfall necessary for production of crops.However, growth in the sector was stimulated by increases in production of coffee and other non-conventional crops such as pyrethrum, sisal, rice and dairy produce.

Coffee production substantially rose by 27.5 per cent essentially due to favourable weather, increased acreage and improved crop husbandry. On the other hand, coffee prices per tonne declined by nearly half from K£ 12,859 per metric tonne in 2007to K£ 7,816 per metric tonne in the year under review. Tea production slumped by approximately 50 thousand tonnes reflecting the prevalence of lower than required precipitation.

Maize production recorded a drop from 27.3 million bags in 2007 to 25.0 million bags in 2008 as a result of insufficient rains in some of the maize growing areas. This necessitated importation of 73.5 thousand tonnes of maize to meet the deficit.

Wheat production was grossly affected by the poor producer prices and the invasion of army worms that led to massive farm losses. Only 55.2 thousand tonnes of wheat was produced in 2008 compared to 177.1 thousand tonnes in 2007.

The volume of horticultural exports expanded by 21 thousand tonnes in 2008. In value terms, the exports recorded a 48.8 per cent growth. Growth was mainly attributed to the improved packaging, particularly of cut flowers and the weakening of the Kenyan Shilling against international currencies during the year. Increases in export volumes were also attributed to intensified use of the alternative and cheaper means of transporting the produce via sea, which is also more convenient for bulk produces such as flowers and fruits.