This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
Published on October 12, 2019, a survey by Egerton University's Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development revealed a shift in staple food consumption in rural households, with rice increasing from 54 to 61 per cent between 2013 and 2015.
Despite promising numbers, farmers in Nyanza's largest rice farming belt are facing numerous challenges, including a rising cost of production, lack of extension officers, and grain-destroying birds.
George Okaka, chairman of West Kano Irrigation Scheme, stated, 'The cost of production increases every year. Inputs like fertilisers and weed and pest control measures are rising and the government is not keen on taming this.'
Okaka also highlighted the issue of mistimed harvesting, which affects the quality of the rice milled, and the failure of the Kisumu County government to control the red-billed quelea birds population.
Although Ugandan traders have been buying up the produce at slightly higher rates than local millers, farmers are struggling to make a profit due to thin margins.
Okaka emphasized the need for the county government to acknowledge its lack of capacity to control the birds and seek assistance from the national government.
Efforts to improve rice production in the region include the revival of the Lake Basin Development Authority's 24,000-tonne capacity mill in Kibos and the operationalisation of a farmers' own mill, which will eliminate middlemen and expand farmers' margins.
Joel Tanui, Nyanza NIB Regional Manager, advised farmers to insure their crops to be compensated in the event of crop failure caused by natural calamities.
