Rice farmers to benefit from Sh700 million seeds programme

Kalro Director General Eliud Kireger. [File, Standard]

Rice farmers in 13 counties are expected to benefit from a Sh700 million certified seeds programme that will help in the development of a sustainable production system.

The five-year programme is a partnership between the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Karlo) and the Korean Partnership for Innovation Agriculture (Kopia) aimed at increasing rice production through available, accessible, and affordable quality seeds.

Speaking during the launch of the programme, Kalro Director General Eliud Kireger said that it will entail enlisting farmers to produce certified seeds which will then be made available to other farmers.

Dr Kireger noted that the programme supports the production of over 800,000 metric tonnes of rice seeds in five years which is expected to increases rice production by over 25 per cent every year.

"Local rice consumption has increased to between 950 and 1 million metric tons with local production of only 250 metric tons which has led to the country importing 80 percent at Sh34 billion per year," he said.

Kalro Director General said that by addressing the unavailability of certified seeds, the programme will ensure farmers produce more and bridge the gap between production and consumption.

"Under the programme, some farmers will travel to South Korea to learn more about sustainable rice farming and later become trainers of trainers to reach more farmers," he said.

Kireger assured that researchers are working to find the best cure for apple snails that have continued to wreak havoc in the Mwea irrigation scheme pushing farmers into huge losses.

Kopia country director Ji Gang Kim noted that apart from providing sustainable and certified seeds, the programme will also offer mechanisation in planting, weeding and drying of the rice.

"This will reduce the cost of production and post-harvest losses, Kenyan farmers use the manual methods of planting which are very expensive, and also drying is done on the roads in the open sun which leads to losses of up to 40 per cent of the harvests while still posing a health hazard," he said.

Kim said the programme is aimed at enhancing and promoting the rice value chain to boost productivity and quality.

John Macharia, a rice farmer, said the initiative is timely as farmers have been grappling with lack of certified seedlings for planting this season.

"The production of rice has for so many years been affected by poor seeds where most of the farmers have continued to recycle the seeds from the previous harvest which has not only affected the quantity of harvest but also the quality of the rice," he said.

Macharia was optimistic that the provision of certified seeds, mechanisation, and driers to farmers will maximise production and reduce imports.