Kimira Oluch Smallholder Farm Improvement Project (KOSFIP) Senior Agronomist Amos Amenya (in black jacket) with members of Homa Bay County Bunge La Wenyenchi. [James Omoro, Standard]
A Sh6 billion irrigation project in Homa Bay County may not meet the intended objective in future if youths fail to change their negative attitude towards crop production.
The Kimira Oluch Smallholder Farm Improvement Project (Kosfip) was implemented by the National Government in collaboration with the African Development Bank.
During a tour of the project by Homa Bay County Bunge la Wenyenchi, a civil society, at the weekend, it was realised that only elderly people were practising crop production.
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The project, implemented in Rachuonyo North and Rangwe sub-counties, was aimed at boosting food security and uplifting living standards of residents. It covers 3,685 acres, which is subdivided into 97 irrigation blocks.
The project is meant to benefit more than 5,000 households directly by producing food and high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables for sale both regionally and internationally.
During the visit, we met 77-year-old Peterlis Ojwang’, who has been using the project for about 10 years.
Ojwang’ who hails from Kopiyo A village in Koyugi location, Rachuonyo North Sub-county, has been growing various produce such as maize and horticultural crops. His advanced age has forced him to reduce the scale of production.
But when he looks at his neighbours and the entire village, he fails to see any young person who intends to use the irrigation project.
“I can no longer produce crops the way I used to do because of my advanced age. This means the scale at which I produce crops has drastically reduced but I am not seeing young people with the enthusiasm our generation has had in this initiative,” Ojwang’ said.
George Aoko, 64, the chairman of Kimira Irrigation Water Users Association (IWUA) is a worried farmer.
Aoko is worried about the lack of young people who will take over crop production from them.
“Lack of the youth’s engagement in crop production is worrying us. The elderly persons are losing energy for crop propagation yet many youths have no interest in farming,” said Aoko.
The speaker of the Bunge la Wenyenchi, Walter Opiyo, urged youths to change their attitude towards crop production.
Opiyo argued that the project may not achieve its intended purpose in future if youths in the area fail to embrace crop production.
“Let youths embrace farming using this project because they are the ones with enough energy to make the project change fortunes of the local community,” Opiyo said.
He said they will continue sensitising the youth to enhance utilisation of the project.
Bunge la Wenyenchi spokesman Evans Oloo said they intend to propose a legislation to the county assembly to compel land owners to lease the land lying idle for the project. This is after it emerged that some residents could not allow others to use their land yet they are not growing crops.
“No land should lie fallow because people need to produce food using this project,” Oloo said.
Kosfip Senior Agronomist Amos Amenya said the project can make many people rich if they utilise it appropriately.
“Many youths here are attracted to boda boda business, which earns them quick cash but the cash is also consumed quickly. Let youths understand that they can become financially stable if they utilise this project effectively,” Amenya said.
The project implementation began in 2007.
