… The pricing decision forms part of broader reforms being spearheaded by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, aimed at reviving the sugar sector, strengthening mill operations and reducing reliance on imports.
The government will require every farmer to tag their cows, sheep and goats with Animal Identification and Traceability (ANITRAC) tags to tackle livestock theft, improve disease surveillance and strengthen animal tracking. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said cattle will be fitted with distinctive yellow ANITRAC ear tags, and livestock owners and traders found with animals without the required identification or who deliberately remove tags could face arrest.
The government will require every farmer to tag their cows, sheep and goats with Animal Identification and Traceability (ANITRAC) tags to tackle livestock theft, improve disease surveillance and strengthen animal tracking. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said cattle will be fitted with distinctive yellow ANITRAC ear tags, and livestock owners and traders found with animals without the required identification or who deliberately remove tags could face arrest.
The government has launched a Sh2.1 billion preparedness plan to protect livestock farmers and pastoral communities from anticipated El Niño effects, targeting 24 flood-prone and livestock-rich counties. The largest share of funds will go towards vaccines, veterinary medicines, and emergency response equipment to help farmers act before disasters occur.
The government has rolled out a Ksh.2.1 billion National Livestock Sector El Niño Preparedness and Anticipatory Action Plan targeting 24 flood-prone and high livestock population counties. Ksh.1.5 billion will fund vaccines, veterinary medicines and mobile clinics to prevent disease outbreaks like Rift Valley Fever, with remaining funds supporting livestock markets, water points and feed reserves.
Kenya and Uganda are pushing for increased agricultural trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area, with maize as a key commodity. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya is ready to increase maize imports from Uganda but insists on strict food safety standards, particularly requiring maize to be dried and free of aflatoxin contamination before crossing the border.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced a Coast Region Economic Revival Strategy targeting Lamu, Tana River, Kwale, Kilifi and Taita Taveta to increase agricultural production through a "Farm to Port" approach. The strategy will focus on products including coconut, cashew nuts, cassava, cotton, milk and meat, with some counties handling production and value addition while others provide supply chain and logistics infrastructure.
Human rights activists have petitioned the courts, alleging that Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi lacks constitutional authority to waive import duty on 490,000 metric tonnes of rice worth Sh21 billion through gazette notices, arguing that tax waiver powers are reserved to legislators under Article 210(1) of the Constitution.
Kenya's government has announced a duty-free window to import 500,000 tonnes of yellow maize for animal feeds and up to 25 million bags of white maize, citing rising annual demand of 75 million bags and expected shortages from the current season. Sam Gituku's analysis questions whether the yellow maize importation is backed by publicly demonstrated evidence of shortage.
A Kericho court issued interim conservatory orders suspending the election of farmers' representatives to the Kenya Sugar Board, scheduled for September 5, 2026, in a petition filed by Richard Ochieng and two others. The Election Committee halted the exercise to comply with the court's directions.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe explained that Kenya exports its high-quality rice that fetches good prices on the international market before importing cheap, low-quality rice, despite facing an annual deficit of 1 million tonnes.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has called on Kenya to unlock its meat industry's potential through value addition, processing, and technology investment, warning that exporting live animals instead of finished products exports jobs to other countries. Kenya produced 613,627 tonnes of meat valued at Sh397 billion in 2024, with beef accounting for 260,000 tonnes.
The Government has reduced the price of a 50-kilogramme bag of subsidised fertiliser to Sh2,000 and halved the cost of certified maize seed to help farmers in the country's breadbasket recover from crop losses caused by a three-month dry spell across North Rift counties. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the intervention aims to help farmers return to production ahead of El Niño rains expected from October.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced a 50% price reduction for certified maize seed and subsidised fertiliser to help farmers cope with drought. The government will cover half the cost of maize seed, reducing the farmer's price from Ksh.300 to Ksh.150 per kilogramme, while a 50kg fertiliser bag will cost Ksh.2,000 instead of Ksh.2,500, representing an estimated Ksh.6 billion in government subsidy.
President William Ruto's directive to cut maize production costs takes effect in September with a 50 per cent government subsidy on certified maize seed, reducing farmers' prices from Sh300 to Sh150 per kilogramme, and a further reduction in subsidised fertiliser costs. The government expects to subsidise approximately 40 million kilogrammes of maize seed at a cost of about KSh6 billion.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe says Kenya will invest in harvesting river water, building and rehabilitating dams, and drilling boreholes to increase food production and reduce dependence on rainfall as the population grows.
The Government plans to import 25 million 90-kilogramme bags of maize to address an anticipated deficit from reduced harvests in major maize-growing regions and avert a food crisis. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said arrangements were already under way and the Government had measures in place to maintain adequate food supplies despite production challenges.
Kenya's Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced that the government will import 25 million 90kg bags of maize to address an anticipated food deficit. Reduced harvests in major maize-producing regions are expected to create a shortfall of nearly 25 million bags against Kenya's annual consumption of approximately 75 million bags.
The government will import 2.3 billion kilogrammes of maize (25 million bags of 90 kilogrammes each) to address food shortages caused by drought-driven crop failures across the country. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe cited the need to cushion against looming food shortage and said the country will also encourage irrigated agriculture investment to boost production.
The Kenya Tea Development Authority has announced the procurement of two million 50kg bags of fertiliser (99,000 metric tonnes) for over 600,000 farmers, with supplies expected to arrive early next month after delays in shipment due to technical and logistical challenges.
The Kenya Tea Development Authority has procured two million bags (99,000 metric tonnes) of fertiliser to be distributed to over 600,000 farmers starting next month, following delays due to technical and logistical challenges. KTDA is also diversifying tea markets to boost farmer earnings after recent price declines.
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe reassured farmers that Kenya is well stocked with seeds for the upcoming planting season despite drought-related losses of between 25 and 30 percent in seed production, distinguishing between seed availability and overall maize production levels.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has directed tea factories to reject poor-quality green leaf from farmers who fail to meet recommended standards, saying Kenya must match factory modernisation with improved tea quality to attract higher international prices and increase profits.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the government is investing in upgrading tea factories and marketing local tea to expand into new international markets, particularly in Europe. The government is injecting 7.1 billion shillings to modernize factories across the country to improve efficiency and reduce power costs.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya expects maize production to decline due to drought in ASAL counties, but the government has measures in place to prevent food shortage, including importing maize from the COMESA region. The CS said maize seed stocks are sufficient despite potential losses of 25–30 percent of the seed crop.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya expects maize production to decline due to drought in ASALs, but the government has put measures in place to prevent a national food shortage, including supplementing local supplies through imports from the COMESA region.
The Government increased the producer price of locally produced wheat to Sh5,100 per 90-kilogramme bag, an increase of Sh350 from the previous year's Sh4,750. The price increase came after cereal farmers in Narok County issued a 72-hour ultimatum demanding better prices, though the new price falls short of the Sh5,378 per bag that farmers had demanded based on a government-commissioned cost-of-production study.
The government has increased the producer price of wheat to Ksh.5,100 per 90-kilogram bag for the 2026 season, up from Ksh.4,750 last year, aiming to improve farmers' incomes and ensure stable wheat supply. The decline in expected harvest to about one million bags this season was attributed to adverse weather and farmer shifts to barley.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula has pledged Parliament's support for sugarcane farmers opposing proposed amendments to the sugar sector law, which would replace elected growers' directors with appointed ones. The farmers' federation argues the changes would weaken farmer representation and control over institutions protecting their interests.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has reaffirmed the government's ban on sugar imports and ordered the Kenya Sugar Board to stop issuing import licences, stating that Kenya has sufficient domestic sugar production to meet local demand and aims to become a sugar exporter.
The government has launched a drive to double bixa production by expanding growers and utilising Kenya Bixa Limited's 3,000-tonne annual processing capacity, which currently operates at less than half capacity. The initiative aims to create farming and processing jobs while raising rural incomes in Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu counties.