NAIROBI, KENYA — Although Kenya remains a net importer of corn, wheat and rice the country is expected to produce a steady amount of grain in the 2021-22 marketing year, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Corn production in the 2021-22 marketing year is forecast to remain at about 4 million tonnes based on good weather, steady demand and stable prices. A rise in feed demand has pushed Kenya’s corn consumption to 4.5 million tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year. The USDA estimates corn imports to jump 100,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes.

Kenya’s wheat production may be slight, but it increased nearly 17% in the 2021-22 marketing year to 350,000 tonnes due to favorable prices. Beer consumption fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing barley prices to wheat levels. As hotels and food services reopen in Kenya following COVID-19 the USDA expects wheat consumption to return to near pre-COVID-19 levels. Wheat imports for the 2021-22 marketing year are forecast to total 2.4 million tonnes.

The USDA estimates Kenya’s rice production to remain steady at 121,000 tonnes while rice consumption is set to rise to 700,000 tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year based on schools and the hospitality sectors reopening. The forecasted 2021-22 marketing year rice imports is 575,000 tonnes, a gradual increase from previous years.