CS Agriculture Mutahi Kagwe with Cereal Millers Association chair Beju Shah and CEO Paloma Fernandez/FILEThe government has reviewed upward the producer prices of locally produced wheat by Sh350 per 90-kilogramme bag for the 2026 season.
The new price has been set at Sh5,100 per 90-kilogramme bag, up from Sh4,750 last year.
The move is aimed at improving farmers' incomes and encouraging domestic production.
The decision followed consultations coordinated by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) involving the Cereal Growers Association (CGA), wheat farmers and cereal millers.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the agreed price was reached through discussions aimed at balancing the interests of farmers, processors and consumers.
"The agreed price will apply at designated aggregation centres where the Government has commenced the ongoing wheat mop-up exercise ahead of any wheat importation, reaffirming its commitment to prioritising locally produced grain and protecting domestic farmers," Kagwe stated.
The CS said the approach prioritises locally produced grain and is intended to provide farmers with better returns while ensuring a stable supply of wheat to millers and consumers.
More than 2,000 wheat farmers from Narok, Nakuru, Meru, Laikipia, Nyandarua and Uasin Gishu are expected to benefit from the improved producer price.
The increase comes against a backdrop of lower expected wheat production this season.
The government projects approximately one million 90-kilogramme bags will be harvested, compared with about 1.7 million bags last year.
"The reduction has been occasioned by adverse weather conditions and a shift by many farmers to barley production after barley fetched about Sh 5,300 per bag last season," the CS noted.
Barley prices have since eased to between Sh4,200 and Sh4,500 per bag, making wheat production more competitive for farmers.
The government has added that it expects the new wheat price, together with other interventions, to support efforts to revitalise the sector and reduce the country's dependence on imported grain.
Among the measures being implemented is the expansion of crop-specific fertiliser subsidies for both small-scale and large-scale wheat farmers.
Plans are also underway to accelerate research and distribution of high-yielding and climate-resilient wheat varieties through the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and private seed companies.
Other interventions include expanding mechanisation, promoting land commercialisation, particularly in Laikipia, and strengthening measures to control destructive quelea birds.
The ministry is encouraging long-term land leasing for commercial wheat production and discouraging excessive subdivision of agricultural land.
Climate-smart agriculture will also be promoted to help farmers adapt to changing weather conditions and improve productivity.
Despite the challenges facing the sector, wheat production is projected to grow by about five per cent this season, although this is lower than the earlier forecast of 10 per cent.
The government said the revised projection reflects the impact of adverse weather conditions and other factors affecting production.
