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Mwea rice farmers celebrate as the government confirms 100% uptake and payment of stock, injecting billions into the economy and setting a production record.

Rice farmers in Mwea are breathing a collective sigh of relief after the government confirmed the full purchase and payment of all locally produced rice delivered to state agencies.
This unprecedented 100% uptake signals a dramatic turnaround for a sector historically plagued by delayed payments and rotting stock. With production projected to hit a record 302,000 metric tonnes in 2026, the move by the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) to clear the decks has injected billions back into the rural economy, proving that structured markets can indeed work.
For years, the narrative in Mwea has been one of despair—farmers watching helplessly as cheap imports flooded the market while their premium Pishori gathered dust. The intervention by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and KNTC changes the game. By guaranteeing a market, the state has effectively de-risked rice farming.
"We have zero carry-over stock for the first time in history," confirmed Anthony Waweru, Managing Director of the Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Co-operative Society (MRGM). "Every grain harvested in 2025 has been sold and paid for. This is the freedom our farmers have prayed for."
The success in Mwea offers a blueprint for Kenya's ailing maize and coffee sectors. It demonstrates that when the government aligns policy with procurement, the results are immediate and transformative. The challenge now is sustainability.
Can the KNTC maintain this liquidity? With national consumption still outstripping production by 80%, the balance between supporting local farmers and managing necessary imports remains delicate. But for now, the farmers of Kirinyaga are laughing all the way to the bank.
As the new planting season begins, confidence is at an all-time high. Mwea has proven that with the right support, Kenya can feed itself—one grain at a time.
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