Government to supply irrigation kits to farmers

By KBC Reporter/KNA

The government has begun supplying irrigation kits to small scale farmers across the country.

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa says the kits comprising water pumps and pipes are aimed at improving food production especially in areas hit by drought.

Farmers groups in Langobaya, Kilifi County have already received 100 water pumps and pipes.

Most farmers in the country have been relying on rain fed agriculture but the effects of climate change and erratic rainfall has prompted a shift to irrigation.

Small-scale farming in Kenya accounts for 75 per cent of the total agricultural output. To boost food production, the government plans to supply irrigation equipment to small scale farmers across the country.

Wamalwa says the irrigation kits will not only boost the farmers’ earnings but improve food security as well.

Speaking during the distribution of 100 water pumps and pipes to small scale farmer groups at Langobaya in Malindi, Kilifi County, Wamalwa noted that Kilifi and Tana River Counties, which have been among the most hit by drought, have the potential to produce more food through irrigation.

The government also plans to focus and invest more on small scale farming projects in Chakama, Jilore and Kakuyuni in the County to compliment the Galana Irrigation Scheme project.

The government will also drill boreholes in drought hit areas to assist residents with water for domestic and agricultural use even as the country continues to grapple with the effects of the drought that has affected more than 2 million Kenyans.