President William Ruto says maize production has more than doubled under his administration, rising from 34.3 million bags in 2022 to 71 million bags in 2025.
Speaking during the 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on Tuesday, Ruto cited the figures as evidence of progress in agricultural production and food security.
“Our maize production has increased from 34.3 million bags to 71 million bags,” Ruto said.
He added that maize imports had declined from 9.9 million bags to 3.3 million bags, attributing the changes to interventions aimed at boosting domestic production.
The President said the government had subsidised more than 38 million bags of fertiliser since 2022, reducing the price of a 50-kilogramme bag from Sh7,500 to Sh2,000.
“Since 2022, we have subsidised more than 38 million bags of fertiliser, reducing the price from Sh7,500 to Sh2,000 per bag and cushioning farmers against high input costs,” he said.
Ruto also cited improvements in cotton production, saying yields had increased from 177 kilogrammes to 378 kilogrammes per acre.
He said the government planned to build large, medium and small dams under the National Infrastructure Fund to expand the area under irrigation to 2.5 million acres.
“We intend to build mega, medium and micro dams across the country under the National Infrastructure Fund, expanding acreage under irrigation to 2.5 million acres,” Ruto said.
The President also reported that more than 7.1 million farmers had been registered on the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System, which is intended to help the government target agricultural support and distribute inputs.
He said the interventions were designed to lower production costs, increase yields and improve farmers’ incomes.
Ruto presented the figures as part of his broader account of the government’s economic performance, highlighting agriculture’s contribution to food security and reduced dependence on imports.
The planned irrigation expansion is expected to support production by reducing reliance on rainfall, while the fertiliser subsidy is intended to make essential farm inputs more affordable.
The dairy sector had also recorded an increase in national milk production of one billion litres, according to Ruto. He said the price paid to farmers had risen from Sh35 to Sh60 per litre.
At New KCC in Eldoret, he announced that dairy farmers would receive Sh65 per litre from October, with a further Sh2 increase per litre each month, paid every four months.
Ruto said the agricultural measures were intended to raise production, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen Kenya’s food security.
