Sh13bn to boost irrigation farming
What you need to know:
- During his vetting this week, members of Parliament wanted to know what he would do to deal with internal sabotage from leaders not keen on seeing the project take-off.
- He said the Galana pilot project covering 10,000 acres had started with 2,000 acres being planted with crops. This will be expanded to 100,000 acres of the targeted 1 million acres.
Agriculture was Thursday allocated Sh13.8 billion to promote the shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation.
From this allocation, the National Irrigation Board got Sh10.3 billion while the Galana Irrigation Scheme at the coast will get Sh3.5 billion.
Land titling was given Sh3.5 billion while Sh3 billion will be used to subsidise farming activities.
“The investment in agriculture is to promote food security, bring resilience in the economy, create jobs and reduce poverty,” Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said.
He said the Galana pilot project covering 10,000 acres had started with 2,000 acres being planted with crops. This will be expanded to 100,000 acres of the targeted 1 million acres.
The project has been allocated money since 2013 but the first harvest that was anticipated in the first quarter of 2015 is yet to be realised.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed Mr Eugene Wamalwa as Cabinet Secretary for Water and Irrigation in a bid to hasten the implementation of this project among other irrigation schemes.
INTERNAL SABOTAGE
During his vetting this week, members of Parliament wanted to know what he would do to deal with internal sabotage from leaders not keen on seeing the project take-off.
Strategic food reserves will get Sh2.7 billion for buying food from the farmers and fisheries, Sh3.1 billion for development of the sector. Farmers in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme will be given Sh1.2 billion in compensation to give room for expansion of the scheme that is being done with funding from Japan. Coffee farmers will get Sh1 billion for debt write-off.
The cash-strapped Kenya Meat Commission will get Sh600 million while the troubled pyrethrum sector has been allocated Sh300 million with pastoralists expected to get another Sh300 million for creation of disease-free zones.
