Miller Magazine Issue: 118 October 2019

KENYA 96 MILLER / OCTOBER 2019 in the MY 2018/2019. Kenya’s corn local supply deficit is expected to wid- en in MY 2019/2020 due a decrease in production, against growth in consumption. Due to the existing import ban of GM products, and Kenya’s preference for white corn, the bulk of the imports are expected from Uganda and other countries in Common Market for EAC regions. FLOUR IMPORTS DECREASED Wheat is the number one imported agricultur- al product in Kenya. According to USDA estimates, about 85 percent of domestic consumption was im- ported in 2018, valued at approximately $355 million. Between 2014 and 2018, Kenya purchased two- thirds of the wheat it imported from Russia, Ukraine, Argentina, and Germany, with most of the balance coming from Canada and Poland. Domestic increas- es in local milling capacity have allowed Kenya to mill its own wheat flour and consequently, imports of flour have decreased FAS forecasts a decrease in Kenya’s wheat production in MY 2019/2020 due to a reduction in planted area, as farmers shift to other more competitive enterprises such as barley, horticulture, dairy, sorghum, and pyre- thrum. Wheat consumption is expected to increase in MY 2019/2020, consistent with the trends in past years, and driven mainly by an expanding and robust foodser- vice sector. A growing preference for wheat products is also ev- ident in both rural and urban areas and manifests in