International trends
Irrigation impacts food security in Kenya
Kenyan farmers benefit from water harvesting innovation and use solar-powered irrigation with the goal of achieving food security.
By Nita Karume I
n October 2018, the Hungarian government established an organic water retainer solution plant in
Kirinyaga County in Kenya. The plant, which is aimed at enhancing water storage, is expected to increase yield and crop health in the Mt. Kenya region.
The organic water retainer innovation is part of an agricultural cooperation between Kenya and Hungary. Over- reliance on rain-fed agriculture coupled with erratic weather conditions have been a major challenge for farmers for years. This has motivated the Kenyan government to intensify irrigation efforts.
This plant will no doubt help revolutionize irrigation and farming in Kenya. It will also serve as a yardstick for organic agriculture in the East Africa region.
According to agricultural experts, the plant will also reduce cases of soil degradation and aid in the regulation of soil water balance. It is believed that this will go a long way toward ensuring endurance of crops during dry weather patterns. The initiative is seen as a huge step forward toward achieving food security. Moreover, the organic water retainer plant is expected to not only scale up water harvesting but also increase yield.
Irrigation development in Kenya
Kenya has a relatively limited irrigation tradition, as the majority of existing irrigated areas were developed between 1960 and 1980. Since then, the rate of irrigation has reportedly declined. This lag can be attributed to the fact that the amount of land already under irrigation is far below the potential irrigable area. Be that as it may, irrigation has been making a significant contribution toward the national agriculture goals: food security, increased income for smallholder farmers and employment generation.
Onions grown using solar-powered drip irrigation. 38 Irrigation TODAY | January 2019
Photo credit: SunCulture
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