* Depressed rainfall seen affecting agricultural output * Kenya to raise grain reserves to 8 mln bags from 4 mln
By Olivia Kumwenda JOHANNESBURG, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Kenya plans to double grain reserves as a buffer against any shortages next year, following forecasts that the country would receive less rainfall, which could harm output, a government official said on Tuesday.
Meteorologists said last month rainfall during Kenya's short rainy season later this year is expected to be less than usual and that the first half of 2011 also looks to be dry.
"Because there is a lot of food in the market this year, the government is trying to buy and increase the grain reserve requirement from 4 million (90 kg) bags to 8 million bags to prepare itself in case there is a shortage," Assistant Agriculture Minister Gideon Ndambuki told Reuters.
East Africa's biggest economy last year imported the bulk of its maize from South Africa after a drought left almost a third of the population in need of food.
Ndambuki, speaking on the sidelines of an agriculture conference in Johannesburg, said that if Kenya is faced with another maize shortage, it would again explore imports.
"If there is any shortage, definitely we will have to look at where we can get the grain from, within the eastern Africa region and outside the region," he said.
Ndambuki said government does not expect the possibility of less rain to have a big impact on tea production.
Kenya, the world's leading exporter of black tea, expects to produce 15 percent more tea this year than in 2009 thanks to unusually heavy rains in the first half of the year. (Editing by Jon Herskovitz and Jane Baird)