Fresh produce prices rise 20pc as dry spell persists in Kenya

High yielding new French bean varieties which mature early, uniformly and lower costs of production, taken recently. PHOTO   ;   COURTESY

Kenya: The cost of fresh produce in Kenya has gone up by at least 20 per cent as a dry spell bites. Prices of vegetables, including cabbage, sukuma wiki and tomatoes, have increased in the past weeks, forcing consumers to dig deeper into their pockets.

Most of the fresh food produced in Kenya depends on rain or irrigation, with farmers struggling to keep up with demand as rivers dry up and rains delay.