Informal Market Data
Market Volumes and Value
The profiling of the informal wholesale markets across the Kenya’s coastal region has revealed numerous opportunities for smallholder farmers to engage with buyers. The annual market size for assorted commodities across six major wholesale informal markets is USD 45,615,797 facilitated by 2,213 wholesalers. Statistics reveal that traders are operating at 62% of the market potential given the documented annual market capacity of USD 72,442,428. Irish potatoes, tomatoes, kales, bananas and cabbages are the most traded commodities although huge market deficits for all the commodities are still persistent.
Annual volumes and value of assorted commodities across main informal markets in the coastal region, Kenya.
|
Commodity Traded |
Volume (MT) |
Value (USD) |
Market Gap (Mt) |
Proportion sourced outside Coast Region |
|
Banana |
22,027 |
7,497,898 |
4 233 |
64% |
|
Beans |
2,423 |
1,722,110 |
5 845 |
50% |
|
Cabbage |
15,085 |
1,806,265 |
1 711 |
100% |
|
Cassava |
1,957 |
645,038 |
1 684 |
70% |
|
Cowpea |
182 |
116,808 |
234 |
100% |
|
Dry maize |
749 |
267,389 |
655 |
80% |
|
Green grams |
39 |
28,567 |
221 |
100% |
|
Green maize |
2,496 |
324,143 |
1 456 |
60% |
|
Kales |
22,690 |
7,558,853 |
9 482 |
100% |
|
Mangoes |
4,485 |
537,369 |
3 362 |
100% |
|
Onion |
8,104 |
5,220,838 |
3 846 |
60% |
|
Oranges |
5,595 |
638,891 |
4 441 |
0% |
|
Potatoes |
32,244 |
8,297,969 |
12 324 |
93% |
|
Sweet potatoes |
2,097 |
542,640 |
3 494 |
50% |
|
Sweet pepper |
2,350 |
933,514 |
1 413 |
50% |
|
Tomatoes |
24,681 |
8,862,432 |
15 003 |
62% |
|
Water melon |
252 |
26,663 |
133 |
50% |
Price
Huge price variations are persistent during peak and off peak season within the informal markets especially for tomatoes, cassava, potatoes and onions.
This present an opportunity for scheduled production for smallholder farmers to coincide with off peak period that offer higher prices.
Table: price variation during peak and off peak season for assorted commodities across the informal markets in the coastal region of Kenya
|
Commodity |
Price/kg (Kshs) |
||
|
Peak |
Off Peak |
% price change |
|
|
Cassava |
22 |
50 |
127% |
|
Banana |
15 |
25 |
67% |
|
Beans |
66 |
96 |
45% |
|
Cabbage |
50 |
70 |
40% |
|
Cowpea |
60 |
80 |
33% |
|
Green grams |
70 |
85 |
21% |
|
Kales |
40 |
60 |
50% |
|
Mangoes |
17 |
22 |
29% |
|
Onions |
54 |
100 |
85% |
|
Potato |
21 |
37.5 |
79% |
|
Tomato |
15 |
123 |
720% |
Source: Farm Concern International, FCI, 2016
Maize Price Trends in Selected Coutries
Sampled Banana Price Trends per County
FCI VISION :Commercialized smallholder communities with increased incomes for improved, stabilized & sustainable livelihoods in Africa and beyond.