The Agriculture ministry says it will build strategic stockpiles of corned beef and rice for national food reserve, adding to the list that currently has maize grain and milk powder.
The ministry has had discussion with the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) on the procurement process for SFR meat.
The move will help pastoralists who stand to benefit from the animal offtake programme during drought.
Kenya is set to raise its national emergency food stockpile to four basic items as it moves to expand dietary options for its humanitarian activities.
The Agriculture ministry says it will build strategic stockpiles of corned beef and rice for national food reserve, adding to the list that currently has maize grain and milk powder.
Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai said plans were under way to buy animals from farmers for corned beef to be kept at the food reserves.
“For the first time in this country, we shall be buying lean animals from farmers for stocking at the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR),” said Mr Kimtai during the interview with the Business Daily. “We need to stock complete meal as opposed to grains and milk alone.”
market forces
The prices at which State offers to buy agricultural commodities for its SFR are usually regarded as minimum prices in the market. In the maize segment, for instance, the State has frequently been criticised for disrupting market forces and raising producer prices during the harvest time glut.
On Monday, Mr Kimtai said the ministry has had discussion with the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) on the procurement process for SFR meat.
The move will help pastoralists who stand to benefit from the animal offtake programme during drought.
“We require lean animals and this can only be found during dry seasons when thousands of animals are affected by drought prompting the government to start an offtake programme,” he said.
The department of livestock is seeking Sh2 billion from the Treasury to help in mopping up excess milk in the market and building up an emergency beef stock at the SFR.
And for the first time, the SFR will also be stocking rice after the Government set aside Sh200 million for the exercise.
Rice production
National Irrigation Board General Manager Gitonga Mugambi said production of rice this year at the Mwea scheme will be higher compared with the previous years.
“We expect to harvest 140,000 tonnes of rice this year from the main crop and between 40,000 and 50,000 tonnes from the ratoon at Mwea,” said Mr Mugambi.
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