Read this rice farmer’s thread on why we have shortage
A rice farmer has attributed the ongoing rice shortage to the closure of irrigation ‘streams’ leading to low production.
The farmer, through his Twitter account wrote a thread of messages explaining how the ‘streams’ were closed due to a Sh14million debt that farmers had been told to pay.
He went on to explain that for two seasons, most farmers did not plant as water was ‘blocked’ from getting to their farms.
According to Business Daily, the shortage has pushed retail prices from Sh145 a kilo in January to Sh200 as at Monday October, 2.
The National Irrigation Board (NIB) said rice production at Mwea dropped from average yields of 830,000 bags in the season ended March last year to 498,000 bags in the season ended March this year, a 40 per cent decline.
“The cost of rice has been increasing since January following a drop in output at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in the wake of a severe drought that affected the flow of water,” said Innocent Ariemba, a manager at the scheme.
The rice farmer whose thread has been shared widely on twitter however disputed the NIB’s drought explanation saying the debt, which has since been cleared led to closure of ‘streams’.
The rice shortage was manufactured and as a rice owner, I would tell you how ?
— Wile E.Coyote ?? (@Attilla_IV) October 3, 2017
*Rice farmer.
— Wile E.Coyote ?? (@Attilla_IV) October 3, 2017
Walifunga irrigation streams coz allegedly the farmers “Owed” NIB 14 million. Which during campaigns was “magically cleared”
— Wile E.Coyote ?? (@Attilla_IV) October 3, 2017
This means that for 2 seasons, watu wengi hawakulima https://t.co/taFWblE5tr we await as someone is given the go ahead to import?
— Wile E.Coyote ?? (@Attilla_IV) October 3, 2017
Yep…Halafu they welded the inlets from the canals shut so people don’t “smuggle” water. 80% of rice farmers in Mwea didn’t like 2 seasons
— Wile E.Coyote ?? (@Attilla_IV) October 3, 2017
For example, this will be the first season tunalima since off-season ya last year (May-July)
— Wile E.Coyote ?? (@Attilla_IV) October 3, 2017