Help Small Scale Farmers in Kenya and NE Province

This is a time for self reflection and a time to take stock of the achievements the Kenyan nation has achieved since independence. The country has made considerable progress in education, finance and industry since it took independence in 1963. It has also been a trailblazer in the sports sector. Everywhere you go in the wide world of commerce, Kenya is seen as a beacon of peace and development in a troubled continent. There are over thirty million Kenyans to thank for this. They have worked tirelessly to preserve peace and harmony. They are the people who have ensured that Kenya remains etched on the global map.

However, everytime there is drought, flood or some natural disaster, the country's focus shifts to the the inefficacy and unpreparedness displayed by government departments supposed to tackle this problem. There is need for proper planning to avoid food shortages. The pictures we see of drought stricken Kenyans struggling to get water and food should be a thing of the past with a bit of planning and hard work.

One of the areas which the Kenyan government can try to develop as a food basket is North Eastern Province, seen by many as a huge swathe of wasteland. This is an area where an irrigation scheme (along the lines of the defunct Bura Irrigation Scheme) can be developed to help increase food production.

Farmers in Garissa (along the banks the Tana River) and their counterparts in Mandera (who farm the banks of the River Daua) have shown that there is alot of potential in the area. Every year they harvest thousands of tonnes of bananas, mangoes, water melons and other food crops which they sell to the local population. The figures could be higher if they get the right kind of help from the authorities.

The government can chip in by providing the expert help of agricultural extension officers and some financial support to help the farmers get the right farm inputs. This will help spur increased farming activity and help stabilise food production in the said areas. A well managed food irrigation project in NEP is feasible and will help the country achieve faster economic growth.

The NEP region also has great potential for growth as a producer of livestock for the export market. There is room for growth and this is indeed the best opportunity for the government to make progress in addressing the concerns of residents of Kenya's forgotten province.