Kisumu: The government has announced plans to purchase paddy from over 30,000 rice farmers in the Ahero irrigation scheme, Kisumu County, in an effort to ensure ready and stable markets for their crops.
According to Kenya News Agency, National Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi revealed that the state has earmarked Sh150 million in the supplementary budget for the 2024/25 financial year to facilitate the purchase. During President William Ruto's visit to the Nyanza region last year, he assured rice growers in Kadem and Ahero of government support through direct purchases from farmers, Mbadi noted.
Mbadi acknowledged a delay in disbursing the funds for the program but assured that the Treasury plans to release the finances by February. He made these remarks on Friday in the Chiga area of Kisumu County while visiting various Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) projects.
The initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, will be executed by the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA). This strategy aims to develop a national food reserve to address emergency responses during floods and droughts across the nation.
In the supplementary budget, funds will be allocated to LBDA to procure rice from farmers, allowing the government to supply food aid to Kenyans in need. Mbadi emphasized the importance of sourcing food aid locally rather than importing it, highlighting the urgency to assist many hungry Kenyans.
This effort aligns with the government's Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which aims to enhance farmers' profit margins and achieve economic sustainability in the agricultural sector.
According to the National Irrigation Scheme (NIA), the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in the Kano plains produces approximately 22,000 metric tons annually. The initiative addresses rice farmers' growing concerns about the lack of a ready market, which has led them to sell their produce at low prices to middlemen from neighboring countries.