Francis Ngige
24 April 2008
Nairobi — Despite being a highly productive area, Mt Kenya region is staring at a looming food shortage.
Already, prices of essential commodities have gone exceptionally high as the locals grapple with high inflation witnessed as a result of the nationwide instability early in the year. Many residents cannot afford foodstuffs.
Being a major supplier of agricultural products to several towns, the region's failure to produce enough food during the short rain season complicates the matter.
The situation is likely to deteriorate in the coming months with the expected depletion of food stocks.
Erratic weather conditions coupled with high cost of planting materials seem to have made matters worse.
Although the short rains account for only 15 per cent of national production, it is crucial for the national food reserve.
Essential food crops like potatoes, tomatoes and vegetables have become scarce.
The prices of potatoes have gone up by more than 100 per cent in a region where the crop is largely produced.
The potato growing zones in Central and Eastern provinces have not produced enough, making the prices to shoot to Sh3,900 per bag up from Sh2,000.
Further complicating the food situation is the Rice Blast disease that has destroyed more than 5,000 acres of the crop under cultivation in Mwea, Kirinyaga District.
The Mwea Rice Scheme accounts for between 10 and 20 per cent of the country's annual rice production.
Since rice produced in the country is not enough, Kenya has been forced to import the grain.
And with the outbreak of the Rice Blast, the country needs an even greater amount of imported rice.
Rice prices have soared by more than 70 per cent globally in the past two months, while the cost of wheat has risen by 120 per cent in the last year, contributing to a food crisis worldwide.
The disease, which spreads fast and drastically lowers production, has affected nearly a quarter of the rice fields.
Experts say the affected crop could end up producing as low as two bags of paddy from one acre. When affected, the plants are not able to support grain formation, leading to low yields.
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