03/09/2007
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Promise of better times as Sh3bn project is launched
Homabay/Rachuonyo:3 Billion project
Story by DAVE OPIYO
Publication Date: 3/8/2007
Twenty two years after it was first mooted, a Sh3 billion irrigation scheme in Rachuonyo and Homa Bay districts has finally been launched.
PREPARATION: Mrs Rose Okoth transplants rice seedlings at a farm in Ahero irrigation scheme. The Kimira/Oluch small-holder irrigation scheme is expected to improve farming in the area and create thousands of jobs. For a long time, people in the region have been wallowing in poverty, especially after long spells of erratic weather.
Poverty levels in Nyanza Province are alarming. The latest poverty status report says that 63 per cent of the local population is poor. Nyanza Province is densely populated. It relies mainly on fishing and agriculture. But unreliable rainfall has frequently led to crop failure. Irrigation is the best way out — and the region has immense potential for this. Currently, it is a net importer of fruit and horticultural products from other parts of the country.
Through the Kimira/Oluch and other schemes, more than 3,000 households will directly benefit in the two districts. An additional 400,000 households are likely to benefit indirectly from marketing, extension services and watershed management activities. The irrigation scheme will be fed by two rivers, Kibuon and Tende, which have separate catchments. Divided into two — Kimira and Oluch projects — the scheme consists of 880 and 666 hectares, respectively.
The project is expected to boost household incomes and will be fully owned and managed by farmers in Homa Bay and Rachuonyo districts.
It will be implemented in six years. About Sh2.7 billion will come from the African Development Bank (ADB), and Sh300,000,000 from the Government. The Lake Basin Development Authority managing director, Mr Ferdinand Wanyonyi, says farmers will cultivate at least two crops a year. They will also get technical assistance and linkage to lucrative markets.
Cultivation of horticultural crops such as cowpeas and pure stand kales, for export is also possible.
In the 1,474 hectares under irrigation, cumulative incomes are expected to shoot up from the current Sh29 million to Sh334 million. It is estimated that crop yields will increase three-fold from the current 750kg per hectare.
This means the incomes of growers will similarly increase due to higher yields, all-year farming and access to better extension services and ready markets. For households that will grow tomatoes, their yields will increase from 12 tonnes per hectare to 24 tonnes.
With the adoption of new techniques, the farmers’ net benefits from growing vegetables (sweet corn) over the first years will be 25 tonnes per hectare. A total of 97 small-holder irrigation associations will be established. Later, they will form two irrigation water users associations (IWUA), which will be trained to efficiently manage the schemes.
At full development, the project is expected to contribute to about 13 per cent of the district’s agricultural gross production.
The larger East African market, the East African Community (EAC), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) will provide outlets for agricultural produce, not just from the project but from Kenya, as well. “This project is a godsend to a poverty-stricken area. But it did not come easy for us. It has taken more than 20 years — concept, planning, design, financing, negotiation and the current launch,” says Mr Wanyonyi.
Uplift the region
He adds: “We are grateful to the Government for the funding and the extensive research it conducted on how to uplift the region’s economic status.” Implementation of the scheme followed recommendations by LBDA, assisted by the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA). An integrated master plan has been developed.
The study established that both Kimira and Oluch schemes have great potential for small-scale irrigation, based on gravity flow, from Awach Kibuon (Kimira) and Awach Tende (Oluch) rivers.
“The Government then requested funding from ADB. We are glad that money is now available. Farmers can start tilling their land and planning on the best ways to utilise irrigation waters,” he adds.
Opportunities will be available for marketing and processing farm produce, as well as for suppliers and transporters of agricultural inputs like fertilisers, improved seeds and chemicals.
Farmers will be trained in business and entrepreneurial skills. Mr Joseph Oyugi, a farmers’ representative, praised the project and assured the Government of its sustainability. Incremental employment will be about 270,000 working days a year. This is equivalent to 1,000 full-time jobs in agriculture annually.
The initial investment is quite high because of the complex design of the infrastructure. This is to ensure optimal utilisation of water and to avoid displacing homesteads.
Regional Authorities Development minister Mohamed Abdi Mohamud says floods, a recurrent problem, will be diverted to irrigation channels. He says they have requested an additional Sh140 million from ADB to restore water catchment areas in the region. Speaking at the launch, the minister said a bridge would be built between the two schemes to ease transport and access to markets in the area.
The projects’ implementation structures have already been finalised, he said, adding that there will be no harm to the environment. The National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) has okayed the project. “And there has been no objection from the Nile Basin initiative on use of the two rivers for irrigation,” said the minister. Recently, Foreign Affairs minister Raphael Tuju appealed to communities in the Lake Victoria region to take advantage of the water mass for irrigation and domestic purposes.
He said the controversial Nile Treaty had been declared redundant and unenforceable by member countries. While it is possible to export produce to Europe and other horticultural markets, issues of quality and costs, especially transport, will be looked into.
Roads in the region are dilapidated, casting fears that beneficiaries of the project will lose lucrative markets. The Government has set aside Sh60 million for repair of roads destroyed by recent floods, but local leaders say this is not enough.
Rangwe and Karachuonyo MPs Philip Okundi and Adhu Awiti say the poor state of local infrastructure may compromise the irrigation projects, owing to delays in transportation of produce.
“The Government had earmarked the Katito/Kendu Bay/Homa Bay/Mbita roads for repairs several years ago. But only now is the Katito/Kendu Bay road being refurbished. That is not enough,” says Mr Okundi.
“The Government should quickly construct the remaining roads to boost the local economy,” he says.
Mr Mohamud said these issues would be looked into. According to the projects’ appraisal report, about 88km of feeder roads will be built to ease transportation of farm produce to various markets. Meanwhile, ADB has called on the Government to ensure that the projects are effectively managed.
Project manager Alex Mend cautioned against external interference, especially in award of contracts and bending of procurement rules, otherwise they would pull out of the project.
He said the Government would refund the Sh2.7 billion grant after a 10-year grace period. The full amount is expected to be repaid in 40 years, he added.
=====================================================Promise of better times as Sh3bn project is launched
Homabay/Rachuonyo:3 Billion project
Story by DAVE OPIYO
Publication Date: 3/8/2007
Twenty two years after it was first mooted, a Sh3 billion irrigation scheme in Rachuonyo and Homa Bay districts has finally been launched.
PREPARATION: Mrs Rose Okoth transplants rice seedlings at a farm in Ahero irrigation scheme. The Kimira/Oluch small-holder irrigation scheme is expected to improve farming in the area and create thousands of jobs. For a long time, people in the region have been wallowing in poverty, especially after long spells of erratic weather.
Poverty levels in Nyanza Province are alarming. The latest poverty status report says that 63 per cent of the local population is poor. Nyanza Province is densely populated. It relies mainly on fishing and agriculture. But unreliable rainfall has frequently led to crop failure. Irrigation is the best way out — and the region has immense potential for this. Currently, it is a net importer of fruit and horticultural products from other parts of the country.
Through the Kimira/Oluch and other schemes, more than 3,000 households will directly benefit in the two districts. An additional 400,000 households are likely to benefit indirectly from marketing, extension services and watershed management activities. The irrigation scheme will be fed by two rivers, Kibuon and Tende, which have separate catchments. Divided into two — Kimira and Oluch projects — the scheme consists of 880 and 666 hectares, respectively.
The project is expected to boost household incomes and will be fully owned and managed by farmers in Homa Bay and Rachuonyo districts.
It will be implemented in six years. About Sh2.7 billion will come from the African Development Bank (ADB), and Sh300,000,000 from the Government. The Lake Basin Development Authority managing director, Mr Ferdinand Wanyonyi, says farmers will cultivate at least two crops a year. They will also get technical assistance and linkage to lucrative markets.
Cultivation of horticultural crops such as cowpeas and pure stand kales, for export is also possible.
In the 1,474 hectares under irrigation, cumulative incomes are expected to shoot up from the current Sh29 million to Sh334 million. It is estimated that crop yields will increase three-fold from the current 750kg per hectare.
This means the incomes of growers will similarly increase due to higher yields, all-year farming and access to better extension services and ready markets. For households that will grow tomatoes, their yields will increase from 12 tonnes per hectare to 24 tonnes.
With the adoption of new techniques, the farmers’ net benefits from growing vegetables (sweet corn) over the first years will be 25 tonnes per hectare. A total of 97 small-holder irrigation associations will be established. Later, they will form two irrigation water users associations (IWUA), which will be trained to efficiently manage the schemes.
At full development, the project is expected to contribute to about 13 per cent of the district’s agricultural gross production.
The larger East African market, the East African Community (EAC), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) will provide outlets for agricultural produce, not just from the project but from Kenya, as well. “This project is a godsend to a poverty-stricken area. But it did not come easy for us. It has taken more than 20 years — concept, planning, design, financing, negotiation and the current launch,” says Mr Wanyonyi.
Uplift the region
He adds: “We are grateful to the Government for the funding and the extensive research it conducted on how to uplift the region’s economic status.” Implementation of the scheme followed recommendations by LBDA, assisted by the Japanese International Development Agency (JICA). An integrated master plan has been developed.
The study established that both Kimira and Oluch schemes have great potential for small-scale irrigation, based on gravity flow, from Awach Kibuon (Kimira) and Awach Tende (Oluch) rivers.
“The Government then requested funding from ADB. We are glad that money is now available. Farmers can start tilling their land and planning on the best ways to utilise irrigation waters,” he adds.
Opportunities will be available for marketing and processing farm produce, as well as for suppliers and transporters of agricultural inputs like fertilisers, improved seeds and chemicals.
Farmers will be trained in business and entrepreneurial skills. Mr Joseph Oyugi, a farmers’ representative, praised the project and assured the Government of its sustainability. Incremental employment will be about 270,000 working days a year. This is equivalent to 1,000 full-time jobs in agriculture annually.
The initial investment is quite high because of the complex design of the infrastructure. This is to ensure optimal utilisation of water and to avoid displacing homesteads.
Regional Authorities Development minister Mohamed Abdi Mohamud says floods, a recurrent problem, will be diverted to irrigation channels. He says they have requested an additional Sh140 million from ADB to restore water catchment areas in the region. Speaking at the launch, the minister said a bridge would be built between the two schemes to ease transport and access to markets in the area.
The projects’ implementation structures have already been finalised, he said, adding that there will be no harm to the environment. The National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) has okayed the project. “And there has been no objection from the Nile Basin initiative on use of the two rivers for irrigation,” said the minister. Recently, Foreign Affairs minister Raphael Tuju appealed to communities in the Lake Victoria region to take advantage of the water mass for irrigation and domestic purposes.
He said the controversial Nile Treaty had been declared redundant and unenforceable by member countries. While it is possible to export produce to Europe and other horticultural markets, issues of quality and costs, especially transport, will be looked into.
Roads in the region are dilapidated, casting fears that beneficiaries of the project will lose lucrative markets. The Government has set aside Sh60 million for repair of roads destroyed by recent floods, but local leaders say this is not enough.
Rangwe and Karachuonyo MPs Philip Okundi and Adhu Awiti say the poor state of local infrastructure may compromise the irrigation projects, owing to delays in transportation of produce.
“The Government had earmarked the Katito/Kendu Bay/Homa Bay/Mbita roads for repairs several years ago. But only now is the Katito/Kendu Bay road being refurbished. That is not enough,” says Mr Okundi.
“The Government should quickly construct the remaining roads to boost the local economy,” he says.
Mr Mohamud said these issues would be looked into. According to the projects’ appraisal report, about 88km of feeder roads will be built to ease transportation of farm produce to various markets. Meanwhile, ADB has called on the Government to ensure that the projects are effectively managed.
Project manager Alex Mend cautioned against external interference, especially in award of contracts and bending of procurement rules, otherwise they would pull out of the project.
He said the Government would refund the Sh2.7 billion grant after a 10-year grace period. The full amount is expected to be repaid in 40 years, he added.
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