Wheat is one of Kenya’s major food crops, alongside maize, beans, Irish potatoes, cassava, and sweet potatoes. It is mainly grown in Narok and Nakuru Counties.
However, even though Kenyans consume a lot of wheat, the country cannot meet the demand through local production and has to import. This post highlights important wheat statistics in Kenya, including value, production area, prices, consumption, and imports.
Quick Facts
- In 2023, Kenya produced 309,492 metric tons of wheat.
- The total area under wheat production in 2023 was 104,440 hectares.
- The total wheat consumed in Kenya, including imports, was 2.2 million metric tons.
- Kenya imported 1.99 million metric tons of wheat in 2023.
- The total value of locally produced wheat in Kenya was Ksh 14.3 billion.
- The average farm gate price for a 90kg bag of wheat was Ksh 4,160.
- The average wholesale price for a 90kg bag was Ksh 6,569 in 2023.
Wheat production in Kenya – Area and Volumes
Kenya produced 309,492 metric tons of wheat in 2023, grown on 104,440 hectares. The total number of 90 kg bags of wheat produced was 3,438,800.[1]
The total yield was 33 bags (90 kg) per hectare of land, an increase from 24 bags per hectare in 2022.
The value of wheat produced in Kenya by County
The total value of locally produced wheat was Ksh 14.3 billion in 2023, up from 10.6 billion in 2022.
Kenya’s largest wheat producer was Narok, producing 130,563 metric tons valued at Ksh 5.2 billion in 2023.
The second largest producer was Nakuru County, producing 71,810 metric tons valued at Ksh 3.9 billion.
Uasin Gishu was the third largest wheat producer at 38,821 metric tons, valued at Ksh 1.58 billion in 2023.
The value of wheat produced from other regions of the country includes Ksh 1.5 billion from Meru, Ksh 1.11 billion from Laikipia, Ksh 617.4 million from Samburu, Ksh 251.2 million from Nyandarua, Ksh 75.2 million from Nyamira, Ksh 43.2 million from Baringo.
The value of wheat from Trans Nzoia was Ksh 22.1 million, while that from Elgeyo Marakwet was Ksh 14.4 million. Nyeri produced Ksh 12.4 million worth of wheat, Bungoma Ksh 6.6 million, Marsabit Ksh 3.8 million, and Nandi Ksh 714,000.
A larger share of wheat consumed in Kenya is imported
Even though Kenya produces its wheat, local production is never enough to meet the demand. In 2023, Kenyans consumed 2,194,991 metric tons of wheat, an increase from 2,171,727 metric tons in 2022.
Despite the high consumption, Kenya does not produce an equally high amount of wheat. Local production was only 14% of the total wheat consumed in 2023, with imports filling the remaining 86%.
Kenya imported 1,989,932 metric tons of wheat in 2023, up from 1,662,100 metric tons of wheat in 2022.
Kenya's wheat exports have been considerably lower than its imports. In 2023, Kenya exported 8,712 metric tons of wheat, an increase from 1,970 in 2022.
How much wheat costs at the farm versus what it costs in the market
Farm gate prices are farm-level prices – i.e. the amount of money farmers received for their wheat before wholesalers transported it to the market.
Farmgate prices are lower than wholesale prices, which reflect the price of wheat in the market since they do not include transportation and storage costs.
The chart below shows a divergence between the wholesale prices of wheat and the farmgate prices. In 2023, a farmer received, on average, Ksh 4,160 for a 90 kg bag of wheat.
On the other hand, the average wholesale price for the same 90 Kg bag of wheat was Ksh 7,358. This could be attributed to higher transportation and storage costs.
See Also
- Kenya Food Crop Production – Statistics
- Food Poverty in Kenya by County
- A larger share of food consumed in Kenya is purchased
References
[1] Agriculture Food Authority (2024). Food Crops Yearbook of Statistics
