Basic Agricultural Resources of Kenya

Since 1960, expansion of cash crops for export has been significant in Kenya's economic growth. Important agricultural exports include coffee, tea, pyrethrum, fruits and vegetables, meat and meat preparations, and sisal. Production of substantial quantities of corn, wheat, sorghum, millet, vegetables, other crops, and livestock products enables the country to be largely self-sufficient with respect to food. Major food imports include vegetable oils, sugar, tobacco, fruits and vegetables, cereals and cereal preparations, dairy products, and animal oils and fats. Agricultural imports from the United States include nonfat dry milk, corn, wheat, tobacco, tallow, and miscellaneous foods. With external assistance, Kenya has instituted economic development plans and projects aimed at developing the agricultural and agribusiness sectors through introduction of improved seeds, product diversification, expansion of irrigation, and improvement of marketing facilities and infrastructure. During the past decade, the smallholder has made significant contributions toward increasing Kenya's agricultural production and furthering the African farm sector's transition from a subsistence to a market economy.