East Africa: State agency seeks to bring about bettement in the FoodAgro sector

Posted on : Friday , 18th September 2015

 Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (Tarda) has planned for the project that aims to increase the production of sugar cane from 70 to 110 metric tonnes per hectare, scale up production of ethanol and animal feed, generate 35 Mega Watts of power and create employment. "Growing sugar cane along the Tana Delta will eliminate the sugar deficit that currently stands at 200,000 metric tonnes. This is because the climate is more favourable and sugar cane grown around the delta takes only nine months to mature, compared to the ones grown in Western Kenya, which take 19 months," said Tarda Managing Director Steven Ruimuku, during the launch of the institution's 2014-2018 strategic plan yesterday in Nairobi.  ESTATE IRRIGATION He said the country needs to shift focus from planting sugar cane in Western Kenya and instead develop plantations along the Tana Delta. He added that Tarda has done a series of studies in several counties along the delta and they gotten impressive results. "If the same is replicated in other counties along the delta such as Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Embu and others, sugarcane production will increase," he said. See also: Mordernise sugar production methods to compete with fellow cane growers Mr Ruimuku noted one of the reasons sugar cane plantations have not been doing well in Western counties is because most farmers focus on small-scale farming. He said this limits mechanisation of the farms and makes planned agriculture very difficult. He suggested that the country should embrace estate irrigating mechanisms since the delta has more than 500,000 hectares of land that can be irrigated and used to grow sugarcane. Environment Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu welcomed the plans that regional development authorities such as Tarda are making to enhance development. "The authorities are expected to identify resource-based development priorities to enhance attainment of equitable exploitation and utilisation of resources in their respective areas," she said.