This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
On August 20, 2019, the parliamentary committee on Agriculture gave the green light to the one million acre Galana Kulalu irrigation scheme, a move that came as a relief to the National Irrigation Board (NIB) that had been defending the project's viability for years.
The committee's chairperson, Ali Adan Haji, said that after visiting the 10,000 acre pilot farm, they were confident that the project was viable and could play a major role in boosting food security in the country.
"A lot has been said about Galana with negative publicity. However, from what we have seen, I can confidently say that as a committee, we shall fully support this project in the next phase," said Mr Haji.
Despite recent setbacks, including the withdrawal of Israeli contractor Green Arava due to non-payment, the MPs urged the board to move with speed to resolve the row and avoid stalling the project.
The project has fallen behind schedule, with the model farm currently 85 percent complete. About 1,500 acres are currently under maize crop, with harvesting expected to start in September.
