Kenya faces a significant gap between rice consumption and production, with annual demand exceeding one million metric tonnes while local production hovers around 230,000 metric tonnes. This imbalance forces the country to import roughly 80 percent of its rice, despite increasing popularity among consumers, especially the youth, who now prefer rice over traditional staples like maize-based ugali.
To bridge this gap and achieve rice self-sufficiency, Kenya can learn valuable lessons from Tanzania’s successful journey. Tanzania once faced a similar challenge but has since become self-sufficient in rice production and is now exporting surplus to neighboring countries. This transformation was driven by a comprehensive National Rice Development Strategy focused on increasing production through improved varieties, better agronomic practices, and value chain efficiency.
One key lesson from Tanzania’s experience is the strategic shift from low-yielding, highly aromatic rice varieties to semi-aromatic ones that balance consumer preferences with production efficiency. In Kenya, the dominant local variety, Pishori, is highly aromatic and prized for its quality but is costly to produce due to its susceptibility to diseases and high input requirements. This makes pure Pishori rice expensive for most consumers, including farmers who grow it, who often sell their entire harvest and buy cheaper imported rice for their own consumption.
Tanzania had a similar aromatic variety, Kyela rice, which faced the same challenges of low yields and high production costs. To address this, they introduced SARO 5, a semi-aromatic variety that produces 2.5 times more yield than the aromatic type. This variety offered a practical compromise, meeting consumer expectations while enabling farmers to increase productivity and income substantially.
The success of SARO 5 was facilitated by a holistic approach involving all stakeholders in the rice value chain—researchers, farmers, seed producers, millers, and government agencies. Kilimo Trust, working with partners, supported seed multiplication, farmer training, and market demonstrations. Farmers could see the benefits firsthand, including better milling recovery rates and higher incomes. The involvement of the private sector was crucial, with investments in extension services and outreach making the new variety accessible and popular. Furthermore, financial grants helped seed companies scale up operations, attracting additional funding and expanding production even in non-intervention areas.
Kenya has adopted a similar strategy with the introduction of Komboka rice, a variety developed through collaboration with research institutions and modeled after Tanzania’s SARO 5. Komboka is semi-aromatic and offers higher yields, making it a more affordable and attractive option for farmers and consumers. Extensive field trials and participatory selection involving farmers, millers, and consumers helped build trust and encourage adoption. Today, Komboka is grown in several regions, including Tana River, Kwale, Taita Taveta, and Western Kenya, and its success has even led to exports to Rwanda.
Beyond improved varieties, Tanzania’s experience highlights the importance of enhancing competitiveness across the entire rice value chain. This includes promoting good agronomic practices, reducing post-harvest losses through better drying and milling techniques, and fostering supportive government policies. For instance, Tanzania addressed harmful export bans that inflated rice prices and hurt farmers’ incomes by presenting evidence on their negative effects, leading to policy changes that improved market efficiency.
Ultimately, Tanzania’s rice sector transformation was driven by a strong public-private partnership. Private companies invested in irrigation infrastructure and mechanization, supported by favorable policies such as tax exemptions on farming equipment. Kenya stands to benefit from adopting a similar collaborative model that empowers farmers, encourages private sector participation, and streamlines value chain processes.
In conclusion, Kenya’s path to rice self-sufficiency depends on embracing improved, high-yielding semi-aromatic varieties like Komboka, replicating Tanzania’s inclusive value chain approach, and fostering strong government-private sector partnerships. This integrated strategy can boost production, reduce dependence on imports, and make rice affordable and accessible to Kenyan consumers, ensuring food security and economic growth in the sector.
