NAIROBI: Kenyan farmers are expected to benefit from Sh400 billion the Indian government has set aside in its annual budget to import grain legumes from Africa this year.
India plans to spend the money on importing four million metric tonnes of grain from the continent. India Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya Sushil Singhal confirmed India is looking to import the legumes from Kenya among other African countries. He was speaking during the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) 2015 members luncheon in Nairobi.
Kenya’s production of grain legumes stands at 0.76 million metric tonnes per year, making it the fourth-largest producer in Africa — after Nigeria, Tanzania and Ethiopia — and 17th in the world.
“Based on our demographic factor, which forms a huge consumption market, we are determined to import from Kenyan farmers as well as other African countries,” said Mr Singhal.
“We request the Kenyan Government to continue supporting grain farmers so that they can produce more and thus increase their market share as well as boost their financial base.”
