The national government has launched an assessment of drought-related maize losses across the North Rift after preliminary findings showed farmers in Trans Nzoia County lost about 30 per cent of their crop following prolonged dry spells.
Principal Secretary for Agriculture Dr. Paul Ronoh announced the exercise during a tour of Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu counties, where he led officials from key agricultural agencies to evaluate the damage and identify interventions to support affected farmers and safeguard national food security.
“We have come to assess the crop failure, particularly maize, because it remains the country’s main food security crop,” Dr. Ronoh said during a press conference at the Kenya Seed Company headquarters in Kitale.
The delegation included officials from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC), Kenya Seed Company, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Members of Parliament serving on the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Kenya Seed directors, and other crop sector stakeholders.
He attributed the losses to erratic weather. Early rains encouraged planting, but prolonged dry spells later devastated maize fields across several of Kenya’s major grain-producing regions.
The government had advised farmers to plant based on forecasts from the Kenya Meteorological Department, but the unexpected drought left many facing heavy losses.
“Some farmers became so devastated by the crop failure that they feared visiting their farms during the day because of the extent of the losses,” he said.
Dr. Ronoh warned that the drought could derail the government’s food production targets after three years of improving harvests, driven by timely fertiliser distribution, subsidised farm inputs, improved seed availability, and expanded last-mile distribution centres.
“We expected this year to produce more than 80 million bags of maize. We believed farmers and the government would register the highest production ever,” he said.
Preliminary ministry data show farmers in Narok, Kericho, and Bomet lost less than 10 per cent of their crops, while Trans Nzoia recorded the highest losses at about 30 per cent.
The drought affected both smallholder and large-scale farmers, including government seed production farms.
The government is considering subsidised seeds and fertiliser for the next planting season and plans to help farmers convert partially damaged maize into livestock silage.
“Not everything is lost. Some crops can still serve other purposes, and we are evaluating the best support package for affected farmers,” he said.
Dr. Ronoh linked the recurring droughts to climate change and urged Kenya to expand irrigation to reduce reliance on rainfall. He said the government is constructing 50 dams to support irrigated agriculture.
He also encouraged farmers to diversify into crops such as beans, sweet potatoes, bananas, and arrowroots.
“If maize fails, other crops can still sustain households. Food security goes beyond maize alone,” he said.
The PS said the government would consider importing maize and rice from approved sources if the final assessment reveals a significant food deficit. He also urged Kenyans to diversify their diets instead of relying mainly on maize meal.
He disclosed that the drought also disrupted seed production, with about 25 per cent of Kenya Seed Company’s contracted growers and Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) farms recording losses. However, he assured farmers that Kenya Seed had already produced enough certified seed for the next planting season.
Soy MP David Kiplagat, a member of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture, said Parliament would support government measures to cushion farmers and strengthen food security.
“We want farmers to participate in identifying solutions so that their views form part of the mitigation measures the government adopts,” he said while pledging Parliament’s support for funding the proposed interventions.
Emgwen MP Josses Lelmengit said legislators would push for additional funding to expand seed and fertiliser subsidies, especially for smallholder farmers, and work with the Ministry of Agriculture to mobilise resources for recovery.
“The government has acted promptly by assessing the situation early. We will support the necessary mitigation measures and ensure farmers receive the assistance they need to return to their farms,” Lelmengit said.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects the assessment to guide its drought response before the September short rains as farmers prepare for the next planting season.
