BY TUM DAVID
A two day day irrigation stakeholder conference takes place in Nairobi capital where delegates gathered at the KICC for the ambitious launch of the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan ( NISIP). The theme of the plan launch conference is: Excelerating investment in irrigation for good security and social economic empowerment. The launch seem to echo good times ahead full of food security in the country.
The plenary had one constant message that irrigation is what is going to make Kenya great. Speaker after speaker lauded the plan launch which they said was timely and that it has come at a better time saying that Kenya without irrigation will never feed itself.
The PS state department of Irrigation, Ephantus Mburu told the press that since their coming into operation, currently there are 74,7000 acres under irrigation in the country. He said out of that about 83,000 acres were done under the last 2 years and that it has led into increase in production most specifically on the rice value chain. The PS also asserts that the launch of NISIP intends to put additional 1 million hectares under irrigation to be able to make at least 50% of potential land under irrigation in the country.
Currently, because of additional acreages under irrigation especially in the public schemes, rice production has increased to 293,000 metric tones which is an increase of over 50%.
The launch is an engaging event bringing together farmers, irrigation water users association( IUWAS), Aggregators, large corporate farmers, Digital platform companies, policy makers, research institutions among others.