BOOSTING FOOD SECURITY THROUGH SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATION
BOOSTING FOOD SECURITY THROUGH SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATION IN THE ARID MERTI AREA OF ISIOLO – 225 PASTORALIST COMMUNITY MEMBERS DIVERSIFY INTO CROP PRODUCTION FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF BOREHOLE WATER PROJECT
At least 225 pastoralist community members from nine organized groups in the arid Merti area of Isiolo have now been enabled to venture into crop production, following the successful completion and handing over of a borehole water project that will provide water for irrigation in their farm that measures more than 80 acres. Already, the farmers have cultivated 24 acres of the farm and started growing cereal crops such as maize, beans and peas, horticultural crops such as cabbages, spinach, Sukuma wiki, tomatoes and onions, as well as fruits such as paw paws, mangoes and water melons.
The transformative initiative that will greatly improve food security in Merti sub county and the neighboring areas has been implemented under the SCORE Project by Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID P) in Partnership with Sign of Hope (SOH) and the County Government of Isiolo, with Funding from the German Government through the Federal Ministry For Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
According to the Programmes manager at MID P Ibrahim Kabelo, the completion and official hand-over of the project that entails the drilling and equipping of a borehole, installation of a solar-powered pump, laying a 1.2 Kilometer pipeline from the borehole to the Diid Nagele Farm and provision of water storage tanks to ensure reliable water supply for farming marks a significant milestone in improving access to water for irrigation and strengthening food security in Merti Sub-County and the neighboring region.
Isiolo County Government’s Chief officer for Water Abdullahi Bonaya and his Counterpart for Agriculture and irrigation Godana Dida who Presided over the official launch and handover ceremony hailed the initiative as one that will have a lasting, transformative impact for the people of Merti who have been over-reliant on livestock keeping as their main source of livelihood, enabling them to diversify livelihoods through sustainable crop production, hence improving nutrition at the household level and boosting food security in the region.
Abdullahi opined that the project demonstrates how collaborative investments in water infrastructure can transform livelihoods, improve agricultural productivity, and create lasting opportunities for rural, pastoralist communities. He noted that apart from crop production for human consumption, the crop residues from the farm such as maize stalks will also be stored and use as livestock feeds during dry seasons, further reducing livestock deaths that are recorded during drought seasons.
His Counterpart in Charge of Agriculture and irrigation Godana Dida noted that the 225 farmers drawn from nine farmer groups who have come together to establish a joint Diid Nagele community farm and managed to cultivate 24 acres of land have already received capacity building on appropriate farming methods for optimal productivity courtesy of Extension Officers from the County Government’s department of Agriculture, as well as supply of certified seeds to support the project.
He assured the farmers that the extension officers will continue working closely with them, even as they look to extend the farm, putting the entire 80 acres under irrigation to enhance production.
Kabelo, noted that the Diid Nagele Water and Irrigation project underscores commitment of the organization to support farmers to enhance productivity, in line with the objectives of SCORE project that is being implemented across seven wards in Isiolo County, among them Cherab Ward.
He noted that the Diid Nagele Project that has been implemented at a total cost of Kshs 6.5 Million is expected to enhance food security, improve household income, and strengthen the resilience of the local pastoralist communities to the impacts of climate change by providing sustainable access to water for agricultural production.
Kabelo commended the strong partnership between MID-P, Sign of Hope, the German Government (BMZ), and the County Government of Isiolo in delivering sustainable solutions that empower communities and support long-term development.
Diid Nagele farmers led by Mzee Roba Diba and the management committee members Halima Halkano and Beatrice Syovinya Musyimi lauded the initiative as one that will help cushion the local community members against perennial climate shocks, with the farm also supporting fodder production in the form of maize stalks and other vegetation that can be stored and consumed by livestock during dry seasons.
They called for more collaboration between the Government and other Non-Governmental actors such as MID-P to continue supporting them to put more land that is readily available into agricultural use, as well as other crucial interventions such as installation of an electric fence around the farm to protect the investment.
The farmers expressed their commitment to dedicate their time and energy on the farm, with technical guidance from Agricultural Extension Officers that have been deployed by the County Government to the area, to ensure maximum productivity to benefit their families and the region at large.
