Posted on August, 23, 2022 at 08:53 am
Kenya’s rice production is expected to rise to 250,000 metric tonnes annually with the completion of Thiba Dam in Kirinyaga County.
According to the National Irrigation Authority, the dam has now been filled with 15.6 million cubic metres of water stored and the surplus now overflowing through the spillway.
The new dam is expected to place additional 10,000 acre of land in Mwea Irrigation Scheme under rice cultivation from the current 25,000 acres.
The 40m tall and 1 km long dam will help secure a full year round water supply for the country’s agriculture department with rice farmers set to be the biggest beneficiaries.
NIB says the dam was achieved on time and at less cost where the authority spent Ksh 7.8 billion against the target sum of Ksh 8.2 billion.
Rice is Kenya’s third staple food after maize and wheat and to supplement the short supply, Kenya is forced to import rice as it only produces 35pc percent of the rice consumed locally.
Kenya is said to be consuming 450,000 metric tonnes of rice annually, against a production of 160,000 tonnes.
Mwea Irrigation Scheme contributes about 114,000 metric tonnes of rice with the deficit being imported from Asian countries such Vietnam and Pakistan.
According to Maurice Mutugi, chairperson of Mwea Water Users Association, the project will grow the economy of the area by double digit.
“This will see the area grow in leaps and bounds as we will be doing two crops per year and this will help even generations to come,” said Mutugi
Mutugi said the farmers are happy and are expecting bumper harvests but at the same time expressing their worry.
“What is worrying us the most is availability of market,” he added.
The project was co-financed by the exchequer and the Japanese government through the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in order to increase rice production and cut rice import bill.
Source: KBC