More land, less yield: Cotton sector struggles with low output amid expansion

Even though farmers have continued to expand the area devoted to cottonseed cultivation, yields per hectare have remained uncertain, raising concerns about productivity and profitability.

Latest data from Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) shows that even though cotton yield per hectare improved to 153 kilogrammes (kgs) last season (2024) compared to 2023, it was three times lower compared to 438kg recorded in 2022.

AFA report shows that even though the land under cotton farming doubled to 16,469 hectares in 2024, up from 8,585 hectares in 2022, the yield per hectare dropped sharply. Farmers harvested just 153 kilograms per hectare in 2024, down from 438 kg in 2022.

In total, cotton production rose from 3,762 tonnes in 2022 to 6,234 metric tonnes in 2024. But because yields per hectare were much lower, the gains came mainly from more land being planted, not better productivity.

The 2023 season saw even lower yields, at just 127 kg per hectare, with 3,863 tonnes produced from the 12,152 hectares.

Looking further back at the AFA report, yields were also higher in 2020 and 2018. In 2020, farmers produced 345 kg per hectare from 9,837 hectares, while yields stood at 391 kg per hectare on 13,617 hectares in 2018.

Interestingly, in 2019, the area under cotton was the highest of the listed seven years at 18,000 hectares, with seed cotton production standing at 3,015, while yields were 168 kg per hectare, a bit higher than the 2024 season.

In 2018, with the area under production being 13,617 hectares, 391 kilos per hectare of cotton seed was produced with a total of 5,321 tonnes harvested.

In terms of value, the 6,234 tonnes of seed cotton harvested in 2024 were worth Sh464.9 million, up from Sh231.6 million in 2023, marking a 61 per cent increase in production value.

Still, the falling yield per hectare raises concerns about the efficiency and sustainability of cotton farming, especially as more land is being brought under cultivation.

“The average yield per unit area during the period under review was 153 kg per acre in comparison to the previous period of 127 kg, representing 20 per cent improvement in productivity,” AFA says in its Statistical Year Book for 2025. “This improvement was, however, still lower than the national average of 228 kg per acre (572 kg per hectare).”

AFA says that the increase in production and resultant volume in production could be attributed to more growers accessing certified seed support. These seeds were provided by various agencies whose germination rate was far better than the local seed.

Lamu leads in production

There was also timely distribution of seed by ginneries, which was received by growers early enough before the onset of rains, and the unexpected high rainfall received in the months of December and January, which gave the crop in the Eastern region the needed boost.

The authority also cites coordination between itself and country officials in the provision of extension services to growers in Lamu, Homabay, Siaya, Busia and Meru Counties, which ended up producing the bulk of the seed cotton. “Growers in the top leading counties in cotton production embraced cotton farming as a business as they followed through the recommended agronomic practices; this improved both productivity and production during the period under review,” the authority said. “In addition, there were better farm gate prices from Sh68 per kg in 2023 to Sh72 per kg in the period under review.” In the period, out of the 21 counties that undertook production, Lamu led as it produced 55 per cent of the seed cotton in 2024. It was followed by Meru, Busia, Siaya and Homabay. These five counties produced 88 per cent of all the seed cotton in the period.

“The rest, a total of 16 counties, only managed to produce a meagre 12 per cent of entire production,” AFA wrote in the report.

High cost of production

The total area under production, in acres, stood at 40,697. Tana River County had the least, at 10 acres that produced 1.59  tonnes, while Lamu County held the fort with 8,100 acres that produced 3,408.44 tonnes of seed cotton.

“Though this was fairly a good cotton year, there were still many challenges that beleaguered the cotton subsector during the period under review,” AFA said while listing high cost of production, fluctuating prices in the international markets, weak and ineffective farmer organisations as some of the challenges.

The document says the perennial challenge of seed support to the growers needs to be addressed by stakeholders in the industry.

It adds that the untapped peripheral industry, away from the traditional lint production for apparel manufacturing, remains a sleeping giant.

“This part of the value chain that needs to be given the attention it deserves with engagement of both public and private sector to come up with value addition strategies and save the country from the huge import bill of over Sh800 million from imports of cotton lint, seed cake, and oil from the EAC countries of Uganda and Tanzania,” AFA recommended in the statistics report.

From the statistics, the authority reports that there was a total of seven operational ginneries that produced 11,268 bales of lint compared to 7,006 in 2023.

“This (increase in production) was attributed to continuous concerted efforts by multi-sectoral agencies towards revitalisation efforts and political goodwill at both national and country levels of government,” the authority says.

The value of lint per kg produced in the period was Sh250, a 24 per cent drop from Sh328 in 2023. “The decrease in the value of lint was mainly due to overproduction of China’s lint, which flooded the international markets,” AFA explains. However, the report says the value of lint produced in the period rose by 70 per cent, from Sh310 million to Sh527 million.

“During the period under review, various cotton products were imported mainly from Uganda and Tanzania. These included cotton lint, cottonseed, cottonseed cake and crude cotton oil. Cotton seed cake was the major import at 10,493.77 tonnes valued at Sh367.3 million, followed by cotton seeds at 3,160 tonnes valued at Sh99.45 million,” AFA says.