The country experienced long droughts, last year, leaving 10 million people in need of food aid and causing the sector, which contributes 25 per cent to gross domestic product, to contract sharply.
Very little land is currently irrigated, especially for grain production. “If every year we put between 200,000 and 250,000 acres, then in five years time we would have a million,” Agriculture Permanent Secretary Romano Kiome told Reuters. He said the initial phase of the programme, which was allocated Sh3 billion ($39.11 million) in the Budget, will aim to revive moribund irrigation schemes.
Several projects in different parts of the country including the coast ran aground due to mismanagement in the past.
Kiome said the ministry had cut projected 2009 output for the staple of maize due to poor rainfall beginning in March.
“We had initially projected about 26 million bags… we have scaled it down to 24 million because of where we are on the weather,” he said, adding the country requires 32 million bags. “Unless the weather improves, we are at risk.”
The Government opened up maize imports earlier this year, and Kiome said retail prices of maize and flour were stabilising.
He said the production outlook for vegetables was much better because they grow faster and rains that had already fallen might support it.
Coffee Export Earnings
Meanwhile, Kenya expects its coffee export earnings to rise to 12-15 billion shillings ($156-196 million) in 2009 thanks to good prices and higher output, the ministry of agricultures top official said on Friday. While Kenyas crop is relatively small, its high quality beans are sought after by world roasters to blend with coffee from other regions. The east African country has previously earned 8-10 billion shillings each year on average.
“Prices are good … I expect between 12 and 15 billion,” Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary Romano Kiome said in an interview.
Kiome told Reuters he also expected coffee output to jump to 60,000 tonnes in the season to the end of September, up from 42,000 in the 2007/08 crop year.
Sunday Standard
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