The National Irrigation Authority (NIA) is working to complete an irrigation project that is earmarked to benefit 843 farmers drawn from semi-arid parts of Murang’a South Sub County.
The Sh312 million Maragua Ridge Irrigation Development Project which is at 99 percent complete will put 400 acres of land under irrigation farming.
On Tuesday NIA Regional Coordinator for Mt. Kenya West Engineer Alexander Wainaina said the project targets to benefit farmers from Maragua ridge, Kambiti, Summer and Kaharate areas.
Speaking when he led a team from the government spokesman’s office to inspect the project, Wainaina said a pipeline network of 70 kilometres has been installed to distribute water to farmers.
“More than 7, 000 cubic metres of water will be drawn from Maragua dam and be distributed to farmers for irrigation. Currently we are testing the flow of water to designated areas,” added the engineer.
The implementation of the project commenced in May 2022 and was slated for completion in August this year.
“Currently farmers are being put in groups so that they can be supplied with water to start farming,” said Wainaina.
The project, he added, is expected to directly provide employment opportunities to 1,000 people and employ another 2, 000 indirectly.
“The results of the financial analysis confirms that the project is financially, socially and economically viable. It has a payback period of 4 years. The irrigation will support farming of horticultural crops, cereals and pulses, coffee, bananas and fodder for livestock,” he stated.
Horticultural crops earmarked to be grown under the irrigation project include cabbage, kales, spinach, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and among others with estimated average gross margins of Sh208,034 per acre per year.
On his part, the deputy government spokesman Gabriel Muthuma lauded the project saying it will ensure many local households have a source of livelihood.
The targeted areas, Muthuma noted, lie in parts of the county that receive minimal rainfall saying irrigation will boost farming thus food security and wealth creation.
“The project will boost farming in parts of Maragua and support attainment of food security for many families. I urge the locals to take advantage of the irrigation project and venture into commercial farming,” he added.
Muthuma further said the government through NIA is also implementing several other irrigation projects in the county saying already some are complete and farmers are doing irrigation on their farms.
By Bernard Munyao
