FOOD BALANCE SHEET

Projected maize surplus this month expected to reach 28.3m bags

About 20.5 million bags to be harvested from hotter counties, including those that planted early in January.

In Summary

• This is based on carryover stocks of 35.2 million bags and estimated 1.35 million bags as forecast imports over the last three months.  

• Estimated imports from the private sector and relief agencies from the region is estimated at 1.4 million bags.

Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja tours a maize farm in Trans Nzoia county on August 30, 2024
Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja tours a maize farm in Trans Nzoia county on August 30, 2024
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI

Maize balance sheet projected to end of September shows a surplus of 28.3 million 50kg bags.

This is based on carryover stocks of 35.2 million bags and an estimated 1.35 million bags as forecast imports over the past three months.

The Food and Nutrition Security report by the Ministry of Agriculture shows about 20.5 million bags will be harvested from hotter counties, including those that planted in January.

They include Bomet, Narok, Nyamira and Migori counties.

The report shows there was a stock of 35.2 million bags of maize as at June.

Estimated imports from the private sector and relief agencies from the region is estimated at 1.4 million bags.

On wheat, the balance sheet showed a surplus of  13.4 million 50kg bags.

The report said the country relies on importation to sustain most of the wheat consumed every month.

The stock as at June was 7.6 million bags.

The report said estimated imports by the private sector and relief agencies from the region and outside Comesa is 10.8 million bags.

The rice balance sheet showed a surplus of 2.7 million bags.

The report shows this was based on carryover stocks of 3.2 million bags and estimated imports by private sector and relief agencies of 3.6 million bags over the past three months.

The rice stocks in June was 3.2 million bags. “Total available stocks by September was at 7.4 million bags. Post-harvest storage losses were estimated at three per cent, which is equivalent to 222,399 million bags,” the report said.

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