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"The agriculture and livestock department has already done hydrological studies to establish the sustainability of the underground water and this is a confirmation that the projects are viable," he said/CFM BUSINESS

Kenya

Irrigation to improve productivity for Kiambu farmers

"The agriculture and livestock department has already done hydrological studies to establish the sustainability of the underground water and this is a confirmation that the projects are viable," he said/CFM BUSINESS

“The agriculture and livestock department has already done hydrological studies to establish the sustainability of the underground water and this is a confirmation that the projects are viable,” he said/CFM BUSINESS

KIAMBU, Kenya, Feb 16 – The Kiambu County Government has set aside Sh95 million for irrigation projects across the county in a bid to exploit and maximise productivity in the semi-arid areas, Governor William Kabogo has said.

Kabogo said that amid the cash crunch in counties, Kiambu was committed to fostering development and would ensure that agriculture, which is the main economic activity, thrives.

The irrigation projects are spread across the 12 sub-counties targeting over 20,000 hectares of land and are at the final stages of completion.

They will be launched by end of the financial year and according to the Agriculture executive member for Kiambu Dr Monicah Waiganjo, drilling of canals and boreholes will be completed by March.

Speaking in Kiambu at an agricultural consultative meeting, Kabogo said that there was enough water for the projects from water harvesting, water pans, river diversions and boreholes.

“The agriculture and livestock department has already done hydrological studies to establish the sustainability of the underground water and this is a confirmation that the projects are viable,” he said.

He noted that the county aimed at boosting Kenya’s food basket and called upon other governors to encourage Kenyans to deviate from over reliance on rain fed farming.

“In a time when the weather patterns keep changing, it is time that all Kenyan farmers shifted from rain fed agriculture to other alternatives,” he added.

Dr Waiganjo announced that the county was training farmers on other methods of farming such as greenhouses and said that farmers were eager to try drought resistant crops as well.

She said that over 2,000 farmers are set to benefit from the projects.

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