What comes to your mind when the word cartels are mentioned? Ok, have you ever wondered why some rice is being considered over others? Research has shown that the aroma in that rice that you prefer is being added by cartels as a market bait or traits.
Cartels have realized that the demand for pishori rice has been high for sometimes and it attracts a huge profit. Now they have manufacture spices that are mixed with the ordinary rice then its packaged.
Rice consumers in Kenya prefer the aromatic basmati rice which also has superior cooking qualities compared to the other local and imported varieties.
But according to scientists, the aromatic scent in your favorite dish of rice had no nutritional value.
A source has hinted that the cartels that mostly operate in repackaging have been making million through the deal.
Kenya spends about Sh92 billion to import rice annually. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, there has been a dramatic increase in total rice imports for East and Southern Africa.
Kenya’s rice consumption has been growing at a rate of 10 percent a year to stand at 400,000 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
There has been a steep decline in rice production in Kenya which in turn has led to an increase in the retail prices of 38 percent, piling pressure on households that are already grappling with the high cost of living in a sluggish economy.
In 2016/2017, Mwea irrigation scheme in Central Kenya that produces over 80 percent of Kenya’s rice had over fifty percent decrease in production due to the impact of drought on water levels in the supplying rivers, Nyamindi and Thiba.
Currently, a kilogram of Pishori rice at Mwea Irrigation Scheme is retailing at more than 200 shillings per kilogram, up from 145 shillings in January.
The cost of rice has been increasing since January following a drop in output at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in the wake of a severe drought that affected the flow of water.
Kenya produces 150,000 tonnes of rice a year, leaving a 250,000 tonnes deficit that is met through imports.