Principal Secretary irrigation Ephantus Kimotho has hailed Siaya county for ongoing Lower Nzoia Irrigation project phase 1 saying it will help reduce the rice deficit by approximately 30% nationally.
The project is able to produce five million metric tonnes of rice thus the need to find sustainable linkages and partnerships calling on the county government to endeavor in formation of County Irrigation Development Unit which will go along with offering services to farmers.
The PS stated that the ten thousand hectares within project will help the country reduce the rice deficit, “Currently the country has a deficit of seven hundred thousand tonnes so this particular project will help to generate twenty-six thousand tonnes in the region,” he said.
Siaya Governor James Orengo while meeting Principal Secretaries for Trade and Irrigation respectively, said that they were in discussions over the ongoing Lower Nzoia Irrigation project phase one.
The first phase was set to be completed in the month of March. The project involves two counties which is Siaya county and Busia County.
The project is going to be transformative to Siaya because the county has never had project of such magnitude particularly in agricultural sector and the government of Siaya county made a bold statement that agriculture is going to be the cornerstone of the county’s development that must be transformative and impactful for the people of Siaya.
He further stated that the meeting and visits were going to bring a new phase of activities in Siaya. “We want the area under rice cultivation and production to be expanded, we have already constructed a mill that is being installed,” said Orengo.
He anticipated that phase two is also on the way since phase one is going to be concluded in manner that partners won’t have any hesitation in bringing in more in resources to the county.
Principal secretary for trade Alfred K’ Ombudo stated that the project is important and the completion of infrastructural stage of the project, there is a need to ensure market works correctly and that incomes are realised from the project.
“We are keen therefore to use the instrument within the state department of trade so that we are able to work with better aggregation produce, better storage of produce to reduce post production losses, better connection to market through our commodities exchange and warehouse systems and from that we are able to realize income,” he added.
By Rael Akinyi
