Kenya cereal growers warn market failures and aflatoxin threaten food security
Kenya’s Cereal Growers Association says inefficient markets, limited investment and weak farm support are increasing the risk of a food crisis. The group also highlighted maize aflatoxin contamination, with some cereal samples reaching 500 parts per billion against a legal limit of 10.
Growers identify pressure on Kenya’s food system
Kenya faces a potential food crisis because of an inefficient agricultural market and insufficient investment, Cereal Growers Association Chairman Nahshon Ngetich has warned. Speaking on Spice FM on August 13, Ngetich said weaknesses in the way crops are produced, handled and marketed were undermining the country’s food security.
His warning places attention on problems extending beyond seasonal grain availability. The association argues that the market does not adequately connect farmers with dependable buyers, finance and production support. Ngetich called on the government to improve market efficiency and address the influence of middlemen and brokers, which can affect the returns received by growers.
He also said agricultural policy should look beyond fertiliser subsidies. Farmers face broader costs and constraints involving leased land, pesticides and herbicides, all of which influence production decisions and the commercial viability of growing cereals.
Aflatoxin levels raise concerns over maize supply
Food safety is a central part of the warning. Ngetich said aflatoxin levels in maize circulating in the market were alarmingly high. Kenya’s legal limit is 10 parts per billion, but the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation told a World Food Safety Day forum in June that some cereal samples had recorded concentrations as high as 500 parts per billion.
The gap between the legal threshold and the reported test results creates risks for consumers, farmers, processors and grain traders. Contaminated maize may be unsuitable for the food chain, reducing the volume of marketable domestic supply even when grain has been harvested. It can also impose additional testing, segregation and storage requirements on millers and other buyers.
Ngetich said Kenyans were giving greater priority to food security than food sovereignty. The distinction suggests that ensuring sufficient safe food has become more urgent than determining whether that food is supplied exclusively through domestic production. If locally grown maize cannot consistently meet safety requirements, pressure could increase on processors and authorities to secure compliant grain from other sources.
Extension services and seed policy come under scrutiny
The CGA chairman called for the return of agricultural extension officers to advise farmers during planting. He identified liming, crop rotation, seed selection and fertiliser use as areas requiring field-level guidance. Before agriculture was devolved to county governments under the 2010 Constitution, he said, extension officers visited farms and recommended varieties suited to local soil and weather conditions.
Ngetich argued that farmers should press county governments in maize-producing regions to provide field officials. Better agronomic advice could help growers manage soil health, select appropriate inputs and reduce practices that contribute to poor yields or contamination. His remarks also assign part of the responsibility to producers themselves, while calling for stronger public support.
He separately criticised the Ministry of Agriculture’s approach to genetically modified organism regulations, saying farmers unable to replant certain seeds must purchase replacements. The comments point to concerns about recurring input costs and farmers’ control over seed choices, although no proposed regulatory changes were detailed.
Galana Kulalu maize strategy questioned
Ngetich also challenged the direction of the Galana Kulalu food security project, which covers 1.75 million acres across Kilifi and Tana River counties. He described the scheme as misplaced because, in his assessment, the region’s weather conditions do not favour maize cultivation.
The criticism reflects a wider question over how Kenya allocates land, public funding and infrastructure for cereal production. For grain-sector participants, the immediate issues are whether domestic maize can be produced safely and competitively, whether farmers receive sufficient technical support, and whether large agricultural projects are matched to local growing conditions. Failure to address those constraints could deepen supply uncertainty and increase Kenya’s future need for grain sourced outside the domestic market.
