Partnership To Boost Rice Production In Tana River
Equity Bank Kenya has partnered with Agri All Africa of South Africa in an initiative aimed at improving food security through large-scale rice cultivation in Tana River.
The collaboration supports efforts to reduce Kenya’s rice deficit and strengthen local agricultural value chains.
The initiative was inaugurated by President William Ruto and Priscillah Dimakhatso, Co-founder of Boholo Group and Director at Agri All Africa.
Dimakhatso, a seasoned entrepreneur and international business executive, highlighted the strategic approach taken to implement the project.
Partnership To Boost Rice Production In Tana River
“We partnered with the government of Kenya through Tana & Athi Rivers Development Authority, TARDA in a Public-Private Partnership initiative to revive and bring to the surface the immense agricultural potential of this area, and in so doing, help address the rice deficit in the country, which is currently met through importation,” Dimakhatso explained.
She acknowledged Equity Bank Kenya’s role in providing strategic support. “We engaged Equity not just as a financial institution but as a partner with a deep understanding of agribusiness ecosystems and community empowerment through the Equity Group Foundation.”
Despite early setbacks, including the devastating 2023 El Niño, the project has demonstrated resilience. “We lost significant acreage, but over 370 acres survived. That was a valuable lesson,” Dimakhatso reflected. “We studied what made that crop resilient and came back stronger with a second crop, determined to contribute towards reducing Kenya’s reliance on rice imports.”
Currently, 1,300 acres are under cultivation, with plans to expand to over 4,000 acres within the year.
At peak production, Agri All Africa expects to produce more than 20,000 tonnes of rice annually, with yields of about three tonnes per acre.
Kenya imports approximately 1.2 million tonnes of rice annually while producing only 200,000 to 250,000 tonnes locally, a gap that strains foreign exchange, labor markets, and contributes to rural-urban migration.
Agri All Africa aims to play a role in bridging this deficit through large-scale commercial farming and structured engagement with local producers.
During a visit to the farm at Gamba in Tana River County, Equity Bank Kenya Managing Director Moses Nyabanda commended Agri All Africa’s approach and reiterated the need for strong partnerships to scale agricultural productivity.
“One of the challenges we’ve seen over the past 40 years is that Africa doesn’t punch at its weight level,” he noted. “Despite having 60% of the world’s arable land, we only produce 10% of global food crops. Agri All Africa has demonstrated what’s possible when agricultural projects are structured for scale, and we see this as a model worth supporting.”
Nyabanda emphasized that Equity Bank is aligning this collaboration with its commitment to the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP), which prioritizes agriculture as a key driver of economic transformation.
“We’re not just looking at agriculture as a sector to finance; we see it as a pillar of economic growth,” he said. “Through our ecosystem approach, we are keen to explore ways to support structured agricultural development, whether through technical assistance, market linkages, or financial instruments tailored to the needs of agribusiness players.”
He further noted that increasing productivity requires more than land and labor—it demands investment in efficiency, mechanization, and sustainable farming techniques. “We believe in solutions that go beyond transactions. Structured collaborations that integrate value chains—from inputs to processing and distribution—are key to ensuring food security and economic empowerment,” Nyabanda added.
Partnership To Boost Rice Production In Tana River
The project spans the entire rice value chain, from cultivation to milling. Dimakhatso underscored the importance of deeper collaboration across stakeholders, including financial institutions, technology providers, and government agencies.
“Equity’s ecosystem approach offers a platform that could help scale this initiative. There is potential to support out growers, improve access to quality inputs, and strengthen market linkages,” she said. “Beyond rice production, we are also focused on community development—80% of our workforce are women, and our goal is to create not just jobs, but a thriving local economy with access to education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods.”
Looking ahead, Dimakhatso remains optimistic about the future. “Large-scale projects like ours require long-term commitment and structured financing tools. Women, especially those in agriculture, need access to reasonable financing—not cheap, but fair. If we can unlock that, the ripple effects will be transformative for the industry and the country.”
Agri All Africa’s journey in Kenya is a testament to resilience, innovation, and the power of partnerships. With continued institutional support, its vision of transforming local agriculture and achieving food security remains well within reach.
