Earlier today during the commissioning of Thiba dam, the president of Kenya William Ruto said that the government will put an extra 200,000 acres across all the ten rice growing counties under irrigation to boost rice production. This will help minimize rice importation, enhance food security and help increase profitability for farmers.
“We import 900,000 tons yet we have 200,000 acres of land that can be resourceful if brought under rice cultivation and help boost the production, profitability for our farmers and enhance food security,” the President said.
Image: WANGECHI WANG’ONDU
Ruto said Kenya produces about 240,000 tons of rice and imports 900,000 tons to bridge the deficit consumption deficit. Through the dam, rice production would increase from an annual average of 110,000 tons to 200,000 tons. The dam can hold 15 million cubic metres of water. Ruto said with the optimization of the reservoir, profitability for farmers would shoot from Sh10 billion to Sh18 billion.
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Kirinyaga is the leading rice producer in the country accounting for 84 per cent of the the total production. The President said that by December, the government will have made available subsidized fertiliser to support the continuous quality and quantity rice production.
