Green maize harvesting threat to food security

Come September, we are likely to see yet another failed maize harvest in marginal areas, and low production in the Rift Valley and Central provinces. Three weeks without rain have raised concerns about production in the ‘grain-basket’.

The long rains season (March-May), which usually accounts for 80 per cent of total annual food production, has been poor so the threat of crop failure is high. This follows what the World Food Programme described as a "pitiful crop" early this year, due to weak October to December short rains. For many areas, this is the fourth consecutive season rainfall has been below normal.