Banana irrigation project in Tharaka complete, says CS

The Muringa banana irrigation development project in Maara constituency, Tharaka Nithi county, is complete and ready to be handed over to the farmers.

While touring the irrigation project on Friday, Water, Sanitation and Irrigation CS Sicily Kariuki said the Sh1.3 billion project which was started in 2013 is now complete.

She said the project covers 6,350 acres, and is benefitting 6,823 farmers directly who are mainly growing bananas for the local and national market.

Alphaxard Babu, a beneficiary of the irrigation project who has been growing bananas since 2019, said he turned to farming after he gave up looking for a job.

“I planted 400 banana trees in a one-acre land and I have no regrets. There are many challenges but with the availability of water and a ready market for my produce, I have been able to deal with the challenges because I always have money in my pocket,” he said.

Babu sells his produce to Twiga Foods who buy a kilo of bananas at Sh14.50 unlike local brokers who buy at between Sh9 to Sh10 per kilo.

He encouraged the youth to get into agriculture and get their hands dirty instead of waiting to get white collar jobs, which are not guaranteed.

Leonard Cheruiyot from Twiga Foods said they scout around the banana growing counties in Mt Kenya region including Embu, Kirinyaga, Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Murang'a in search of the produce.

He said they also contract farmers to ensure they get quality produce for their market.

“We are currently buying at Sh14.50 for a kilo of the Muringa banana at the farm gates. This is better price than what brokers in the local market are offering farmers. We also reduce the cost and burden of transportation since we buy straight from the farm,” said Cheruiyot.

The CS said the project was implemented by the National Irrigation Authority in four phases. The first phase cost Sh200.8 million covering 1,500 acres with 1,420 benefiting.

Phase two cost Sh548 million and covered 1,500 acres with a target of 1,409 farmers, phase three saw 3, 293 farmers befitting from 3,000 acres at a cost of Sh481.9 million. The last phase covered 350 acres and befitted 701 farmers at a cost of Sh65.2 million.

Sicily established a committee consisting of the county commissioner, a representative from the county government and irrigation authority to oversee the transition plan in order to hand over the project to farmers.

“The transition plan will include training farmers on good agronomic practices, quality control and market linkage. We want to make the project sustainable, and I want to urge farmers to utilise the water properly so that all the beneficiaries get to enjoy resource,” said Kariuki.

The CS also visited Tunyai Gakurungu irrigation development project in Tharaka South constituency which covers 800 acres.

She said the project is 96 per cent complete and already benefiting 3,200 farmers directly. Horticultural crops such as bananas, pawpaws, french beans are the main crops in the region.

She was accompanied by the county commissioner, Irrigation Authority CEO Gitonga Mugambi and other officials from the Ministry, County Government of Tharaka Nithi and Tana Water Works Development Agency.

-Edited by Sarah Kanyara