Kenya: Mombasa County is planning to put 10,000 acres under irrigation to boost food production. The move will also diversify agriculture to include fishing and livestock production.
The Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries docket plans to put more acres under irrigated agriculture, introduce hybrid local (kienyeji) chicken farming and rabbit rearing as well as mari-culture and aquaculture.
"Beginning this financial year, we will put 10,000 acres under irrigation to boost food production for 1,000 farmers in Mwakirunge and Dongo areas," explained Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Development County Executive Anthony Njaramba.
Fishing vessels
Njaramba explained that his docket will acquire a fishing vessel for each of the 15 Beach Management Units (BMUs) to boost fish farming from the Indian Ocean. A good fishing vessel costs between Sh1.5 million and Sh50 million depending on size and type.
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Each of the BMU will get five fish ponds in the current financial year, Njaramba explained. The Government has facilitated the formation of BMUs in the country for easy policing with each having about 100 members. "A feasibility study is ongoing to build a fish port, complete with a cold room and a fish processor in the county," Njaramba said.
He noted that the docket was allocated Sh319 million against Sh1.2 billion budget, in line with the Maputo Convention, which recommends 10 per cent of the budget, but noted that a number of projects would still be rolled out.
The County Assembly has passed a Sh12 billion budget for the current financial year ending in June next year. Njaramba noted that the initial plan was to ensure farmers produce 100,000 indigenous (kienyeji) chicken a month. The hybrid chicken farming is being introduced in the county in conjunction with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.
"Hybrid kienyeji chicken farming looks promising while rabbit keeping is an emerging venture in the county and we are testing its market," Njaramba said.
He noted that the development budgetary allocation for agriculture in the county this financial stands at Sh29 million, while fisheries, which has a huge potential, will get Sh76.7 million. Meanwhile, the county assembly has approved Sh8.36 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh3.8 billion for development expenditure.
The supplementary appropriations Bill 2014 was last week brought to the House by Saad Faraj, of the Budget and Appropriations Committee and unanimously passed by the members to beat a Government deadline to secure funds from the National Treasury. "This sum includes Sh8.36 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh3.82 billion for development expenditure as per the first and second schedule respectively," Mr Farah explained.
Salaries for the city of Mombasa employees take the lion's share, at Sh3.9 billion, while the county assembly team takes Sh9893million. The vote for salaries and general administration for the executive team stands at Sh462million.
