Which are the most profitable cereals in Kenya?

Looking for the best cereals to sell in Kenya?

It is one of the most profitable ventures in Kenya. According to investors in the sector, a cereals business can give you a profit margin of 25% and above. However, to enjoy such returns you must focus on the fast-moving cereal products.

Read Next: Do Cereals Businesses in Kenya Make Money?

Why stock your business with fast-moving cereals? According to the food traders and buyers, these products have many benefits as well as features.

• They are some of the most nutritious foods providing your customers with good health and immunity
• The most profitable cereals have a high market demand since they are the common staple foods in Kenya.
• These Cereal types are profitable to trade in and do not delay your cash to working capital.
• According to some customers like schools, they are affordable/cheap
• Urban consumers love them for they cook fast saving time and fuel.

Best Types of Cereals in Kenya

Having understood the benefits of fast-moving cereals, which ones should you grow or sell in Kenya? In this list, we will give you a list of the most profitable cereals, grains, and legumes to supply in this market. The most profitable cereals and cereals products to grow or sell in Kenya are;

Maize

Maize is the most important staple food in Kenya. Each household or institution feeds on ugali or githeri almost daily. According to studies, it provides 65% of the country’s calorie needs. The per capita consumption of maize in Kenya is 98–103 kg per person translating to an average of 8kg demand per month for every Kenyan on average.

 If you can get clean maize, you will always enjoy a ready demand from local millers, schools, or individual consumers.  If you are looking for more profits, consider selling a variety of corn and its products such as;

• Dry Maize
• Muthokoi
• Popcorn Maize

On average, the wholesale maize prices in Kenya is Ksh 80/kg (Ksh 6000/90kgs bag) in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Eldoret according to NDMA. In Lodwar, Marsabit and Garissa. The nominal prices range between Ksh 60-70/kg

Beans

Beans if very often consumed with boiled maize in Kenya’s most popular dish known as githeri or muthokoi. The simple recipe involves boiling maize and beans.

In Kenya, there are many bean varieties that you can grow for sale. The ones with the highest demand are

• Yellow beans which have low acidity
• Rose Coco
• Mwitemania
• Kidney beans (Wairimu)
• Mwezi Moja
• Black beans (njahi)
• Nyayo

Rice

Kenya consumes close to one million metric tons of rice each year.

Much of the rice in Kenya is imported from India, Pakistan, and other rice-producing countries. In Kenya, rice recipes include pishori and pilau. According to a 2014 research, rice consumers in Kenya prefer the aromatic basmati type. Other rice types you need in your cereal shop are biryani and the pure mwea pishori rice.  The retail prices for rice range from Ksh 100 for Basmatti, and Ksh 150 for sindano rice while the Mwea rice retails at Ksh 180-200 depending on its quality.

Green grams (Ndengu)

Greengams or mung beans are the second most consumed legumes in Kenya after the common beans.  Mung beans make a great accompaniment for Rice and chapati stews. In addition, unlike other pulses, green grams will not give you heartburn or digestive gas.

The majority of the country’s ndengu supply is domestic from Kitui, Makueni, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Meru, and Embu counties. Various varieties are available in the market. They are

• Makueni Ndengu; It is tiny and circular with an edible taste
• Nylon Ndengu; It has a shiny/polished look and it’s a big size.
• Special/ western Ndengu; This variety is yellowish brown in color.

Lentils (Kamande)

Lentils is the other legume which has a fast-growing demand in the country. They resemble tiny beans sometimes with a flattened side. There are various varieties with the red and brown lentils being the most common. Others are black and green varieties.

Lentils are very easy to prepare and fast to prepare making them a preferred grain for most urban consumers. In addition, they are very nutritious as they contain high levels of protein and fiber. Finally, their low cost makes them accessible to many people around the country.

Peas

Another category of profitable cereals to consider for your grain shop is peas. These nutritious products belong to the legume family such as beans, lentils, and green grams. The common ones that have fast sales are;

• Cowpeas (Kunde) both the red and white varieties
• Green Peas (Minji)
• Pigeon peas (Baazi)

Flours

In addition to the above cereals, cereal businesses in Kenya make extra profits by value addition or food processing. The best choice for the majority is milling grains and selling corn (maize) flour or porridge flour. You will earn an extra of Ksh 5-20 per kg of flour compared to selling cereals. Assorted and fortified flours will fetch you more money than pure ones. The most common uji flours in cereal shops are;

• Pure millet (Wimbi)
• Pure sorghum (mtama)
• Finger millet (Mawere)
• Cassava (mhogo)
• Maize (Baridi)
• Omena
• Assorted (Uji Mix)
• Banana

 You can consider fermenting some of the flour to sell it sour.

How to choose the best cereal products?

Our list has over 30 profitable cereals in Kenya. However, it is not advisable to stock all of them especially if you are just starting up. Our guide advises you on steps to follow for buying and selling the most profitable ones that are fast-moving without holding your working capital These steps are;

• Conduct a market survey of your target market to know the products with the highest demand. Explore what your rival businesses are stocking and mirror your stock and prices to theirs
• Once you start operating, listen to what your customers are enquiring. Introduce it in small quantities and increase its volumes to match additional orders.

Conclusion

It’s our hope this article teaches you the best cereal products to grow and sell in Kenya. They include various types and varieties of maize, beans, green grains, peas, and lentils. Milled maize and porridge flours fetch higher profits than cereals. In this category, consider selling assorted flours. Millet, sorghum, and maize flours are the most popular in the country. To settle for the most profitable product in your shop, Agcenture advises you to conduct a market survey and mirror your stock to your competitors. Besides, keep introducing new products as customers make orders.