More acres put under maize in Galana farm ahead of July launch
Water and irrigation Cabinet Secretary, Eugene Wamalwa and Israel Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Uri Yehuda Ariel Hacohen, sample the sample maize meal at Galana Kulalu in Tana River County, during the official launch of maize harvesting at the project. An additional 1,000 acres, will be put under maize crop in the project. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- NIB acting General Manager Gitonga Mugambi said starting Monday they will be planting an extra 1,000 acres.
- The acreage that is being planted at the moment is part of the 10,000 acre model farm that forms the first phase of the Galana-Kulalu one million acre food security project.
- Israel is the major financier of the model farm.
- Kenya currently has a deficit of 20 million bags of maize annually and NIB believes that 250,000 acres of land under the crop would be enough to bridge the deficit.
An additional 1,000 acres have been put under maize at the Galana-Kulalu irrigation project as the government steps up preparations ahead of the expected visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for official launch in July.
This brings to 2,000 acres that have so far been put under the crop even as the project struggles with limited budgetary allocation from the Treasury and the supremacy battle pitting water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and the National Irrigation Board (NIB).
NIB acting General Manager Gitonga Mugambi said starting Monday they will be planting an extra 1,000 acres.
“We have so far planted a thousand more acres and we are targeting to put more acreage under maize crop by the end of June,” said Mr Mugambi.
The acreage that is being planted at the moment is part of the 10,000 acre model farm that forms the first phase of the Galana-Kulalu one million acre food security project, which is one of the Jubilee’s flagship projects.
Mr Netanyahu is expected in the country on July 5 for a state visit and part of the activities scheduled for him include the launching of the Galana project.
The Premier was invited by President Uhuru Kenyatta during his trip to Israel in February.
Israel is the major financier of the model farm having provided Sh7 billion loan for the first phase of the project that is aimed at making Kenya food secure.
NIB projects to plant 2,000 acres of maize every month and intends to complete the entire 10,000 acres by September as the laying of water pipes and clearing of the bush have been done.
SLASH IMPORTS
Jubilee, in its campaign manifesto, promised to put a million acres under irrigation by the end of their first term in office.
However, the project has lagged behind schedule due to limited financing and claims of corruption.
Parliament at one point suspended work at Galana over these graft allegations.
The Treasury has also slashed Galana’s budget for 2015/2016 financial year by 63 per cent to Sh4 billion from Sh10 billion previously allocated dealing a big blow to its implementation.
Early this year, the government reduced the budget for the model farm from Sh14 billion to Sh7 billion after abandoning some of the key components such as a milling plant.
The tender for the construction of dams and an electric fence at the scheme was also cancelled weeks after President Uhuru Kenyatta inked a deal with Israel on financing when he visited the Middle East country.
NIB said the tender will be re-advertised at a later date after consultation with other State agencies.
The board in November sought a firm with deep pockets to build the infrastructure on 400,000-acre piece of land.
The company was expected to have Sh10 billion and show ability to raise Sh122 billion to undertake the project.
Kenya has a deficit of 20 million bags of maize annually and NIB believes that 250,000 acres of land under the crop would be enough to bridge the deficit and slash imports from Uganda and Tanzania.
