Farmers in Kenya are facing losses as rice stocks remain unsold amid imports.
On Friday, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe warned that the country is staring at a possible spike in food prices and an acute rice shortage if the courts uphold a petition seeking to block the importation of 500,000 tonnes of duty-free rice.
According to Kagwe, Kenya's annual demand for rice stands at about 1.3 million tonnes against a domestic production of just 20 per cent, leaving a deficit of more than 80 per cent, roughly 1 million tonnes that is bridged mainly through imports.
