Kenya is starring at rice shortage due to water scarcity at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
Currently, the scheme produces at least 80 per cent of the rice consumed in the country, but with the canals feeding the paddy fields almost dry, things are expected to go south.
Due to the water shortage, farmers are yet to prepare their fields in preparation for the July planting season.
“There is very little water, which is insufficient for preparing the farms and planting the crop,” Peter Mureithi said.
The scheme Manager Innocent Ariemba attributed the low water levels to the low water levels in Thiba and Nyamindi rivers.
The two rivers supply the farms with water all year round, but they are abnormally low.
“There is not enough water for irrigation, and there is a likelihood that, if things continue this way, then this season’s crop could fail massively,” he said.
However, Ariemba says that the scheme considers a water rationing system to allow equal distribution of the available water. With that in consideration, the country prepares itself for a rice shortage.
