Who we are

National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is a commercial State Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives.

The Board’s mandate is to provide logistics support services to the government on food security matters and to carry out market intervention for grains and farm inputs on behalf of the government and to trade commercially in maize, rice, wheat and in an array of pulses such as beans and green grams. In addition, it deals in farm inputs like fertilizers and offers grain post-harvest services such as grain drying, grading and aflatoxin testing, pest control, cleaning, storage and warehousing, weighing and bagging besides clearing and forwarding.

National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is a State Corporation established under Cap 338 of the Laws of Kenya. It is a Statutory Board under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives.

The Board’s mandate is to provide logistics support services to the government on food security matters and to carry out market intervention for grains and farm inputs on behalf of the government, and to trade commercially in maize, rice, wheat, and in an array of pulses such as beans and green grams.

The Board also deals in farm inputs such as planting and topdressing fertilizers together with other agrochemicals like Aflasafe which control the spread of aflatoxin in grains.

NCPB offers grain post-harvest services such as drying, cleaning, storing, warehousing, fumigation, weighing, bagging, aflatoxin testing and grading plus other related services to farmers and other interested parties, at affordable rates. In addition, the Board offers clearing and forwarding services in Mombasa.

NCPB is participating in the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) as a warehouse operator and has competitively leased out some of its stores to facilitate others to operate their own warehouses under WRS.

Furthermore, the Board is operating agricultural hub-centers in selected depots. Hub centers are one-stop-shops which coordinate a network of value chains to strengthen input and services delivery and enhance market access for farmers. They bring together farmers, agro-dealers, millers, grain traders, financial and insurance service providers, cooperatives and other agricultural service providers.

NCPB is currently undergoing reforms which are informed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives’ Agriculture Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) 2019-2029, which seeks to transform the agriculture sector in Kenya and ensure that there is national food and nutritional security besides ensuring that food is affordable especially to the needy.

Restructuring of the Board involves the creation of two distinct divisions; the National Food Reserve (SFR) division and the NCPB Trading division. Whereas NCPB Trading division will run all the Board’s commercial functions for example the fertilizer distribution, trading in grain, and offering of post-harvest services, SFR division will be in charge of food security. It will deal with all matters pertaining to the NFR like managing the National Food Reserve Fund. On the other hand, a semi-autonomous unit; the Food Balance Sheet committee (FBSC) will be established, and will act as the statistical arm of the NFR. It will collect data and undertake market intelligence (research) and monitor food prices and advise the government on food production and prescribe strategies on boosting food security.