Forecast for less rain in Kenya presents mixed picture for inflation outlook
by Agency Staff,
2016-03-02 12:24:00.0
NAIROBI — Precipitation during Kenya’s long rain season starting this month is expected to be low in most parts of the country and poorly distributed, weather officials said, presenting a mixed picture for the inflation outlook.
Weather forecasts in the East African nation — which predominantly relies on rain-fed agriculture — are key in gauging inflation trends.
Kenya’s inflation rate slowed to 6.84% year-on-year in February from 7.78% a month earlier. Kenya is the world’s leading exporter of black tea, making it a major foreign-exchange earner.
The Kenya Meteorological Department said in its long rains (March-May) outlook that food-growing areas of the Western, Nyanza, Central and Rift Valley areas would have near-normal rain, and it advised farmers to take advantage of the favourable weather.
"The expected late onset and … poor distribution of the seasonal rainfall is, however, likely to delay planting in most agricultural areas," James Kongoti, the director of KMD said on Wednesday.
The weather office said hydroelectric power generation was likely to improve because the Tana River, Turkwel and Sondu Miriu catchment areas would have near-normal rainfall, leading to a significant improvement in water levels at dams, KMD said.
KMD also said parts of country’s northeastern and eastern provinces, which border on the already drought-prone Somalia and Ethiopia, would receive lower rainfall.
Reuters
Kenya central bank. Picture: BLOOMBERG/TREVOR SNAPPS
NAIROBI — Precipitation during Kenya’s long rain season starting this month is expected to be low in most parts of the country and poorly distributed, weather officials said, presenting a mixed picture for the inflation outlook.
Weather forecasts in the East African nation — which predominantly relies on rain-fed agriculture — are key in gauging inflation trends.
Kenya’s inflation rate slowed to 6.84% year-on-year in February from 7.78% a month earlier. Kenya is the world’s leading exporter of black tea, making it a major foreign-exchange earner.
The Kenya Meteorological Department said in its long rains (March-May) outlook that food-growing areas of the Western, Nyanza, Central and Rift Valley areas would have near-normal rain, and it advised farmers to take advantage of the favourable weather.
"The expected late onset and … poor distribution of the seasonal rainfall is, however, likely to delay planting in most agricultural areas," James Kongoti, the director of KMD said on Wednesday.
The weather office said hydroelectric power generation was likely to improve because the Tana River, Turkwel and Sondu Miriu catchment areas would have near-normal rainfall, leading to a significant improvement in water levels at dams, KMD said.
KMD also said parts of country’s northeastern and eastern provinces, which border on the already drought-prone Somalia and Ethiopia, would receive lower rainfall.
Reuters
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