:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A storm is gathering in Kenya\u2019s agricultural sector following the government\u2019s controversial decision to import 500,000 metric tonnes<\/strong> of duty-free rice\u2014just as local farmers begin their annual harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The directive, issued through Gazette Notice No. 10353<\/strong> on July 28, 2025<\/strong>, has provoked fierce backlash from farmers, economists, and policy advocates who warn that the move threatens to collapse an already fragile domestic rice sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In major rice-producing areas such as Mwea, Ahero, and Bura<\/strong>, farmers say the timing could not be worse. With granaries and warehouses filled with unsold stock from the last harvest, they now face a market flooded with cheap foreign rice, tax-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re watching years of investment, sweat, and hope unravel,\u201d<\/em> lamented a farmer from Mwea. \u201cHow do we compete when the playing field has been tilted this unfairly?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Local advocacy group Team EVOLVE<\/strong> has termed the decision \u201ca betrayal of national interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t just poor planning\u2014it borders on economic sabotage,\u201d<\/em> said Prof. Fred Ogolla<\/strong>, a representative of the group. \u201cInstead of empowering producers, the government is enriching a handful of importers and foreign suppliers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The government defends the move as a necessity to close the supply gap, citing Kenya\u2019s consumption of roughly one million tonnes<\/strong> of rice annually\u2014of which only about 300,000 tonnes<\/strong> is produced locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But critics argue that this approach ignores the root of the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t fix a leaking roof by importing umbrellas,\u201d<\/em> noted Ogolla. \u201cTanzania focused on improving its capacity. Now they\u2019re exporting rice. Kenya must stop relying on short-term imports and start investing in structural reform.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Agricultural experts maintain that Kenya has the potential to produce over 1.5 million tonnes<\/strong> of rice annually\u2014if the government invested meaningfully in irrigation, inputs, and rural infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, local producers continue to grapple with high input costs, poor access to affordable credit, and broken market linkages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe potential is there. What\u2019s lacking is political will,\u201d<\/em> said a senior agricultural economist who spoke on condition of anonymity. \u201cImportation is not policy\u2014it\u2019s abdication.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This is not the first time Kenya has turned to duty-free imports to cushion domestic rice prices. In 2024, a similar 500,000-tonne importation failed to lower consumer prices significantly, according to USDA data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu\u2014with the same flawed outcomes,\u201d<\/em> the economist added. \u201cThese imports only enrich cartels while farmers drown in debt.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Worse still, the waiver of the 35% import duty<\/strong> translates to a direct revenue loss for the Treasury\u2014at a time when Kenyans are burdened by rising taxes and inflation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many, the implications go beyond simple market dynamics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFood isn\u2019t just about hunger\u2014it\u2019s about sovereignty,\u201d<\/em> said Ogolla. \u201cNations like China, the U.S., and Japan treat agriculture as a security pillar. We must begin to do the same.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Analysts warn that continuous reliance on imports threatens not just farmers, but also industries tied to agriculture\u2014ranging from transport and milling to packaging and retail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response, Team EVOLVE and a growing coalition of stakeholders are demanding urgent interventions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKenya cannot afford to be a country that imports what it can produce,\u201d<\/em> Ogolla concluded. \u201cWe must shift from reactive policies to visionary planning\u2014because our food future depends on it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As the new harvest season begins, so does a defining moment for Kenya\u2019s agricultural destiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" : By Akedius Ashiono | Good Morning Kenya A storm is gathering in Kenya\u2019s agricultural sector following the government\u2019s controversial decision to import 500,000 metric tonnes of duty-free rice\u2014just as local farmers begin their annual harvest. The directive, issued through Gazette Notice No. 10353 on July 28, 2025, has provoked fierce backlash from farmers, economists, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17967"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17968,"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17967\/revisions\/17968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodmorningkenya.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
By Akedius Ashiono | Good Morning Kenya<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLocal Farmers Blindsided<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Government\u2019s Logic Under Scrutiny<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Capacity Exists\u2014But Support Lags<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A Pattern of Policy Missteps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Beyond Economics: A Sovereignty Crisis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Call to Action: Prioritize Local Production<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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