Kisumu county launches sorghum production project on idle land

KISUMU, KENYA: Kisumu County Government has begun work on a 100 acre piece of swampy land in Seme area for the second phase of sorghum production in the county's food security initiative.

The programme targeting Mboha valley is similar to the last year's project in which 300 acres of land in Kano plains produced over 10 tonnes of sorghum in rice fields.

Mboha Valley has been abandoned for decades due to the perennial flooding in the area and has been used during the dry seasons for grazing.

At the weekend, Governor Jack Ranguma launched the reclamation initiative which will see over 500 farmers owning land in the valley benefit from the project.

Under the initiative, the county government provides free seeds and fertiliser as well as mechanisation to the farmers at a subsidised rate.

The county administration, on behalf of farmers, also negotiates for sorghum prices with Kenya Breweries Limited.
In bid to curb hunger in the county which outsources over 70 per cent of its staple foods, Ranguma said they were working on 3,400 hectares for a similar initiative and targeting to produce 2000 tonnes of sorghum.