This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
As the golden sun sets over the Mwea rice farms in Kenya, 70-year-old Samuel Kathioni prepares for another day of toiling in the fields. But little does he know, his hard work is being exploited by dealers who are blending his aromatic basmati rice with cheap imports, using perfumes to enhance the flavor.
According to a World Bank report published on October 12, 2014, Kenya imports around 400,000 tonnes of rice annually, while producing only 200,000 tonnes. This has led to a thriving black market, where dealers mix cheap imports with locally produced rice to create a premium product.
At a store in Mwea town, a dealer offers to sell a customer 25 kilos of rice for Sh2,200, claiming it is a 'huge saving' compared to the local produce. But what the customer doesn't know is that the rice is a blend of cheap imports and locally produced basmati rice, with perfumes added to enhance the flavor.
Joseph Kinyanjui, who works at Mwea Rice Mills, reveals that dealers use artificial perfumes to scent Pakistani rice, which is then sold as basmati rice. 'This is another lie by the rice dealers,' he says. 'The aroma is supposed to linger even after washing and cooking.'
Experts explain that rice importation is a necessary evil in Kenya, but the government's decision to allow imports just when the farmers are harvesting their crop has led to a distorted market. 'Why can't it wait for the locally produced rice to be sold out before we allow imports?' asks Innocent Ariemba, Mwea Irrigation Scheme Manager.
The use of Mwea rice by cartels to blend their cheap imports has destroyed the local brand, according to Joseph Ndungu, the Chief Executive Officer of Mwea Rice Growers Cooperative Society. 'This blending distorts the market and breaks the trust of the consumer who after consuming 'fake' pishori feels conned.'
