Meru Ranks Top In Contribution To Country's Agriculture, Trans Nzoia Misses On Top-Ten List

• Meru county was ranked top in contributions to Kenya's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing activities from 2018 to 2022
• Counties specialising in tea production, such as Murang’a, Nandi, Kisii, Kericho, and Kiambu also ranked highly
• Kericho, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, and Uasin Gishu were ranked number thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen, respectively

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, leverages more than three years of expertise in financial, business, and technology research, providing insights into both Kenyan and global economic trends.

Meru county was ranked top in contributions to Kenya's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing activities from 2018 to 2022.

According to the report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on the gross county product contribution to the national economy. Meru, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Murang’a, and Kiambu stood out as the top five counties.

Why Meru and other counties topped the ranking

These counties had diverse agricultural outputs, including tea, coffee, maize, vegetables, potatoes, and raw milk, propelling them ahead of others that rely on a narrower range of produce.

Counties specialising in tea production, such as Murang’a, Nandi, Kisii, Kericho, and Kiambu, play a crucial role in the overall agricultural production.

Re-opening of the European market

The reopening of European markets in 2021 proved to be a game-changer for Nakuru, Kirinyaga, and Kiambu counties.

These counties, major sources of horticultural and industrial crops intended for export, gained momentum after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rift Valley region

Counties in the Rift Valley are often referred to as Kenya's food basket; Nandi came in at number eight, Bomet at ten, and Narok at eleven.

Kericho, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, and Uasin Gishu were ranked number thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen, respectively.

Mithika Linturi releases subsidised fertiliser from Mombasa port

In other news on TUKO.co.ke, the government of Kenya reiterated its commitment to enhancing agricultural production after the CS for Agriculture, Mithika Linturi, flagged off 900,000 bags of subsidised fertiliser.

Linturi pointed out that the cost of fertilisers had progressively decreased from KSh 6,500 to KSh 3,500 and now stands at an affordable KSh 2,500 per 50kg bag.

"Plans are underway to ensure that a total of 7 million bags of fertiliser are availed during the long and short-rain seasons of 2024. This will cut across priority value chains as defined in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)," said Linturi on X.