Rice farmers in Buruma, Taita Taveta county have a reason to smile after the county government revealed plans to support the rice value chain to promote production and economic growth.
Governor Andrew Mwadime on Saturday said the devolved until has set aside some Sh50 million in the current financial year to support rice production.
He said the fund is meant to open up more land for cultivation to increase food security in the region.
While officially commissioning drainage works for the water-logged Buruma rice fields, Mwadime said farmers will be supported on best agricultural practices, appropriate rice varieties, aggregation, value addition and marketing of rice.
He said farmers are yet to explore the region's full rice potential to excess water in the fields as a result of underground streams from the nearby Mt Kilimanjaro.
The excess water at Buruma rice fields has consumed over three-quarters of the 18,000 acres of land, leaving the farmers to use the remaining quarter to grow.
Mwadime, however, said the county has teamed up with the National Irrigation Authority to drain the water for both large and medium-scale rice farming.
“We have secured excavation machines through the National Irrigation Authority to reclaim the water-logged land. More land will be available for rice production,” he said.
He said they are targeting to attain at least 30,000 acres projection of rice production annually upon reclaiming the land.
The increased production, Mwadime said, is in line with his agenda of promotion of nutrition and food security in the region.
The county boss said efforts to harness production will also see the revival of fault machines and rice farmers' access to subsidised fertiliser.
Taita Taveta is in talks with partners to install a rice milling factory in Taveta and link farmers with a reliable market.
Mwadime said the milling machine will cushion rice producers from exploitation by middlemen.
“The machine will equally contribute to efforts to boost the economy and revenue as we sell the county brand,” he said.
Mwadime also noted the need to link farmers to the market as part of efforts to maximise profitability along the value chain.
Agriculture Executive Erickson Kyongo noted that rice farmers are suffering due to over-exploitation by middlemen and unscrupulous buyers.
He, however, assured farmers that plans are underway to streamline the rice value chain to ensure maximum benefit from the product.
He said the agriculture department in partnership with other development partners will equip farmers with skills and modern technology for enhanced productivity.
“We want to utilise every grain harvested. This will only be realised if we introduce new farming techniques," Kyongo said.
Kyongo revealed that the department is targeting to spur the county’s potential for large-scale rice farming to compete with leading rice-producing areas in the country.
He said increased production in the region will also help in addressing the rice deficit in Kenya.
Kenya produces at least 200,000 metric tons of rice annually which is half of the consumption demand, recording a deficit of between 500,000 to 600,000 metric tons, according to government statistics.
The deficit is offset by imports, mainly from Pakistan, Thailand, India, and Vietnam.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
