The construction of the second phase of the multi – billion shilling Lower Nzoia Irrigation project is set to kick off soon following the completion of the phase one, principal secretary for irrigation, Ephantus Kimotho has said.

According to Kimotho, phase two of the project, whose construction will take eight months, will see 7,500 acres of land put under irrigation.

‘This is a very impactful project that will help the country address rice deficit,’ said the principal secretary who led a team of Ministry of Irrigation and the National Irrigation Authority officials on a tour of the project. He was flanked by Budalang’i member of parliament, Raphael Wanjala.

He said that the country currently has a deficit of 700,000 metric tons of rice and has prepared a plan to plug it through various irrigation initiatives.

‘We have come up with a rice plan where we expect irrigation projects in Nyanza and western regions, specifically Lower Nzoia irrigation project to produce 30% of the deficit,’ he said.

He called
for close collaboration between the national government and the county governments to help achieve the goal, adding that devolved governments should encourage their extension workers to continue supporting farmers.

Budalang’i legislator, Raphael Wanjala called for speedy completion of the project to enable rice farmers in Bunyala cut down of operation cost.

Wanjala said that once complete, the farmers will stop pumping water from river Nzoia using electricity, which is costly and will instead, get water through gravity.

The legislator further called on the government to ensure that the second phase of the project included construction of a rice mill, adding that local farmers were losing a lot, transporting their harvest to Kisumu for milling.

He also called for installation of more drying facilities as the only one at the Bunyala irrigation scheme headquarters was not sufficient.

Busia county secretary, Oscar Juma who represented Governor Paul Otuoma said the County Government was ready to partner with
the national government and other stakeholders to make the project a success.

He supported calls for the construction of a mill and more drying facilities, adding that early this year, the county’s school feeding programme that relies of rice from the scheme was faced with challenges in regard to aflatoxin.

Source: Kenya News Agency