Kenya and Uganda are seeking to deepen agricultural trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with Kenya signalling readiness to import more maize from its neighbour if the grain meets food safety and quality standards.
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Sen. Mutahi Kagwe said Uganda was well positioned to supply part of Kenya’s maize requirements but must strengthen post-harvest handling, particularly drying and storage, to address concerns over moisture and aflatoxin contamination.
Speaking during a luncheon meeting with Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Kagwe said increased trade between the two countries could benefit farmers on both sides of the border if food safety requirements were addressed at the source.
“We need a system in Uganda where maize is dried before it crosses the border,” Kagwe said.
“We can buy, but we need aflatoxin-free maize.”
The remarks come as Kenya grapples with a maize supply shortage following poor harvests attributed to unfavourable weather conditions in several major production areas.
The country has increasingly relied on regional imports to bridge production gaps and maintain adequate food supplies. Uganda remains one of the most important potential sources because of its proximity to Kenya and its significant maize production capacity.
However, concerns over aflatoxin contamination have periodically complicated maize trade between the two countries. Kenyan millers have previously raised concerns over the quality and moisture content of some imported grain, making compliance with food safety standards a critical issue in expanding cross-border trade.
Kagwe said Kenya would continue protecting consumers by ensuring that food entering the country complies with established safety and quality requirements.
He nevertheless called for African countries to address unnecessary barriers to agricultural trade, arguing that farmers should not be denied access to markets because of avoidable tariff and non-tariff obstacles.
“We have to ease off these small tariff and non-tariff barriers. We have to look for ways in agriculture where it is a win-win situation,” he said.
Kagwe said African countries have different agricultural strengths that can complement one another, allowing food and other agricultural commodities to move from areas with surpluses to those experiencing shortages.
The approach, he said, would strengthen food security while creating larger markets for farmers and supporting regional economic integration.
The Ugandan Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture also called for stronger intra-African trade, arguing that countries on the continent are still not trading with one another at the level required to fully exploit AfCFTA opportunities.
The delegation urged Kenya and Uganda to harmonise agricultural and trade protocols, including within the East African Community, to make it easier for agricultural commodities to cross borders while maintaining necessary safety and quality controls.
The legislators identified climate change, inadequate water for production, pests and diseases, energy costs, cold storage, extension services, weak markets, limited value addition and agribusiness development among challenges requiring greater regional investment.
Agricultural financing was another major issue raised during the discussions, with representatives from both countries warning that the sector remains underfunded despite its importance to food security, employment and rural livelihoods.
The Ugandan delegation said agriculture receives about 2.2 per cent of Uganda’s national budget, a level it considered inadequate given the sector’s contribution to the economy.
In Kenya, National Assembly Agriculture and Livestock Committee Chairperson Dr John Mutunga similarly called for increased investment in agriculture, arguing that the sector has enormous potential to create employment if adequately supported.
“If we fund education at 24.7%, we are putting more resources to create demand for jobs. If we fund agriculture at less than 5%, we are constraining the sector that would create those jobs,” Mutunga said.
He argued that countries that successfully transformed their economies deliberately invested in agriculture before developing agro-processing, value addition and manufacturing industries.
“Africa has the ability to feed itself, and we have a huge responsibility,” Mutunga said.
Mutunga pointed to Kenya’s fertiliser and seed subsidy programmes, soil-health interventions and efforts to expand last-mile distribution as some of the measures being implemented to raise agricultural productivity.
He also highlighted the expansion of farmer registration, saying the number of registered farmers had increased from about 250,000 to more than 7.2 million. The database, he said, provides the Government with a stronger platform for targeting agricultural support and interventions.
The discussions come as Kenya continues to pursue measures aimed at increasing domestic food production and reducing vulnerability to weather-related shocks.
Kagwe has previously emphasised the need for greater investment in irrigation and climate-smart agriculture as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on rain-fed farming.
The meeting also explored cooperation in the livestock sector, with Kagwe inviting Uganda to consider adopting Kenya’s Animal Identification and Traceability System, commonly known as ANITRAC.
Kagwe said the system targets approximately 77 million livestock and is intended to strengthen animal identification and traceability while supporting efforts to combat livestock theft.
“The safety of the animal is the main purpose,” Kagwe said, adding that effective identification and traceability could make it increasingly difficult for stolen animals to enter legitimate livestock markets.
He called for greater sharing of agricultural technologies, expertise and knowledge between Kenya and Uganda, saying regional integration should deliver practical benefits to farmers, traders and consumers.
The talks underline the growing importance of regional agricultural trade as African countries seek to implement AfCFTA and strengthen food security.
Author: Moureen Koech
Moureen Koech is a passionate Digital Journalist, an adept Agribusiness Writer with a keen eye for news and an impactful story-teller,whose stories provide key value to Agripreneurs and stakeholders in the Agricultural sector
