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Kenya: Ministry in Race to Boost Food Supplies As COVID-19 Cases Surge

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5 years ago

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The government is in a race to cushion the country against a possible escalation of food insecurity as coronavirus cases rise.

A survey by the Sunday Nation, coupled with interviews with top government officials, reveal a multi-pronged approach to boost food production, unclog logistical hurdles occasioned by strict movement protocols, and a move to cushion urban poor.

This, even as Oxfam, the humanitarian organisation, warned that despite recent relaxation of restrictions, the lockdown has disrupted food supplies in the country.

“The Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan governments’ agreement has allowed the continuous flow of food and other essential commodities, but the quarantining of cargo drivers has led to delays and fuelled a nearly 40 per cent spike in food prices,” states the organisation in its latest report.

HUNGER CRISIS

The report warns that Covid-19 is deepening the hunger crisis in the world’s hunger hotspots and creating new epicentres of hunger across the globe.

But even as he acknowledged the pandemic has dealt a blow to a majority of Kenyans ability to afford necessities, Agriculture CS Peter Munya assured that domestic supply remained largely steady for all staples. “We have created a food security war-room to continuously monitor food production, supply and consolidation of emerging issues for appropriate action by concerned agencies,” said Mr Munya in an interview. He said the food balance sheet projections for end of July show a surplus of 1.9 million bags of maize, 4.27 million bags of beans, 1.9 million bags of wheat and 411,580 bags of rice.

He added that the available maize is sufficient for up to the end of this month. Already, about four million bags of maize comprising two million 90kg bags of white maize and two million of yellow maize have been imported to cushion the country from the anticipated shortfall.

The CS said the 2019 long and short rains resulted in production of about 43.3 million (90kg) bags of maize, which is a slight decline compared to 44.5 million bags produced in 2018.

However, production of other food staples remained normal. The prices of maize and wheat have increased following uncertainties brought about by Covid-19 as well as locust invasion in some counties.

29 COUNTRIES

Based on data collected from 29 counties by the ministry and National Disaster Operations Centre, an estimated 82,801 hectares under rain-fed and irrigated crops was affected by the combined disasters of flooding and locust infestation, out of which 26,920 hectares is irrigated. This represents 3 per cent of the total area under crop production during the season.

A survey showed that unlike last season, when most farmers recorded reduced numbers of bags of maize harvested due to delayed rain and pest infestation, this season, expectations are high.