The Lower Nzoia Irrigation Project is expected to be one of the most revolutionary projects for Siaya County, given that the county is expected to develop a plan for the Irrigation of over 10,000 acres of land. The giant project is believed to enhance greatly the capacity of the county to produce rice as one of the leading players in Kenya’s agriculture sector.
Through the application of modern methods in irrigation and proper utilization of the available land for cultivation the project aims at revolutionizing and increasing the sustainability of rice farming in the region. This transition to commercial, irrigation-based agriculture will not only lead to food security but also development to thousands of farmers in the county.
As the project continues in the future when the first phase will be successfully implemented the new portion of 5,000 acres will be added to rice cultivation in the county, thus achieving tremendous results. This expansion is expected to increase the annual production of rice in Siaya County to about 50,000 Metric Tons which is emulate to the set goals by this county.
Also, with the growth and full reinforcement, production is anticipated to hit an amazing 440000 metric tons in the next three years. This growth trend shows that Lower Nzoia Irrigation Project has the capacity to revolutionize the production landscape of Siaya County.
There has been increased efforts to support farmers on this project and ensure the success of this project, Siaya County has closely worked with the Lower Nzoia Irrigation project consulting team and the National Irrigation Authority. Some of these measures are the supply of inputs for farming and delivery of services that can give boost to farm cultivation practices.
The proactive approach will aim at ensuring that farmers have all the information as well as materials they require in order to increase their yields and in turn provide towards the general production of the county. Also, there is likely to be other indirect beneficiaries be encouraged to emulate the setting of Farmer Led Irrigation Initiatives more so given the existence of adequate water resources within the county.
As revealed by Siaya County Government CECM for Agriculture, Food Security, Livestock, and Blue Economy Sylvestre K’Okoth, the project will help meet the raw materials sufficient to feed Siriwo Rice Mill that has 8,000 metric tons rice milling capacity per year. This will keep the mill busy all year round thus providing a guaranteed market for the farmers, which in one way boosts the economic growth of the county. It will also help the development of other industries such as packaging and distribution of rice since there will be a readily available stock hence the economy will benefit.
The initiative corresponds with the Nyalore Manifesto that would see locally produced products such as the “Made in Siaya” rice brand being advocated for by Siaya County. Besides underlining the quality and genuineness of Siaya’s agricultural produce, this branding process also helps in developing a pride among the producers to build up the produce of this region.
Through participation in the development of a strong and closely knit agriculture sector, the Siaya County Government is furthering its vision of being a premier producer of quality rice in the country. The Lower Nzoia Irrigation Project is hence not only a tool for triggering change in the agricultural sector but a key part of the county’s economic planning.