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Galana-Kulalu maize harvest to feed starving 0.5m in Kilifi

flour

Samples of maize flour at the Galana Kulalu scheme. PHOTO | FILE

Half a million victims of famine in Kilifi County will benefit from the current crop of maize being harvested at the Galana-Kulalu irrigation scheme to supplement depleted stocks at Strategic Food Reserve (SFR).

Irrigation Principal Secretary Patrick Nduati said they expect to harvest 70,000 bags which will be channelled towards relief to the locals.

He added that the maize will be issued to government agencies for distribution to affected families noting that this will be an inter- government initiative and that discussion on whether the National Irrigation Board (NIB) should be compensated will be held later.

“We will offer maize that we are going to harvest here for relief purposes to Kilifi County that has been severely affected by famine to safeguard lives that have been endangered by famine,” said Mr Nduati on Thursday when he toured the scheme.

This comes at a time when the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an alert over serious cases of starvation in Kilifi, which is said to be severely affected.

The drought, mainly in arid and semi-arid areas has hit more than 1.3 million people in 23 counties across the country according to the NDMA.

The SFR normally holds grain for relief purposes but currently the stocks have been depleted to 730,000 bags, which might not be sufficient for the current famine emergencies.

READ: Irrigation agency starts work on 10,000ha model farm at Galana-Kulalu scheme

Ideally, there should be three million bags at the facility but the government released close to two million bags to millers in June to tame rising cost of flour.

The Ministry of Agriculture said that it was buying maize from the ongoing harvest in the North Rift to replenish the stocks.

The government, through National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) will buy two million bags and put aside Sh2 billion for the purchase in future as they aim to build stocks of up to eight million bags in coming years.

The NIB has just realised 31 bags of 90 kilogramme per acre in the 3rd phase of harvesting. The state has so far put 3,000 acres under plantation, being part of the 10,000 model farm that was to be completed by next year March.