Siaya: Rice farmers, under the Bunyala Irrigation Scheme, are set to save on the cost of production once the lower Nzoia irrigation project (LNIP) is commissioned, the principal secretary for irrigation, Ephantus Kimotho, has said.
According to Kenya News Agency, Kimotho highlighted that the large electricity bills currently incurred to pump water into the paddy fields will be eliminated as the farmers will access water by gravity upon the commencement of LNIP operations. He made these remarks during the Lower Nzoia Irrigation Project aggregators’ conference held in Siaya town, which was attended by stakeholders from Siaya and Busia counties.
Kimotho, accompanied by Siaya County Commissioner Norbert Komora, indicated that the reduced operation and maintenance costs are expected to boost farmers’ production. He encouraged the farmers to reinvest the savings into purchasing more inputs to further increase production. The government, he noted, has involved all stakeholders in the planning and execution stages to ensure LNIP’s success.
He stated, ‘We want this project to be market-driven; hence the meeting with stakeholders.’ Kimotho also announced that President William Ruto is scheduled to inspect the ongoing works under phase one and launch phase two, which will cover 7,500 acres, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Siaya County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Sylvester K’okoth, urged the national government to shield local rice farmers from competition with cheap imports to foster production. K’okoth pointed out that a significant portion of supermarket shelf space for rice is occupied by imported brands, which hampers local rice brands’ market performance.
K’okoth stated, ‘We cannot purport to be supporting our value chains and farmers while we are not protecting them from cheap imports that get into the country.’ He expressed optimism that the government’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) will focus on reducing agricultural imports that can be produced locally.
During the conference, Busia CECM for Agriculture, Dr. George Mkok, and his Trade and Cooperatives counterpart, Olakachun Omuse, remarked that LNIP would be transformative for the residents of Siaya and Busia counties, who have traditionally depended on rain-fed agriculture. They urged locals to leverage the project to enhance their economic conditions.
