How Mwea migrant farmers are breathing life back into Bura scheme

This is largely because of the influx of farmers from the Mwea Irrigation Scheme who are leasing Bura firms, increasing competition and putting local farmers on their toes.

More than 100 farmers have fled the vibrant Mwea farms to exploit the vast opportunities in Bura.

Emily Wachira is among the farmers who have migrated from Bura to embark on large-scale rice production.

"There is more room for farming here compared to Mwea and most encouraging is the market availability here unlike where I have come from," she says.

Farms in Mwea, she says, are hereditary, making it difficult for a farmer to venture into large-scale production.

Large families must share small portions of land for production and wrangles sometimes emerge and hence individual farmers don't make profits.

"The most a parent can give you is a quarter an acre, and the parent also expects to gain from the profits you make, which does not inspire individual growth," she says.

She reiterates that there is stiff competition in the market in Mwea and only a clique of farmers benefit from the venture.

"There are lots of political interests in Mwea, unlike here. Exploitation out there is real - one either sells the rice at a throwaway price or eats it in their homes," she says.

Simon Karuri, on the other hand, notes that the cost of hiring a farm in Bura is low compared with Mwea.

He says that Bura has potential that has not been exploited and farmers need to take the opportunity.

"I used to farm a quarter an acre for rice in Mwea. That is the space I could afford. The same money I used in that farm is giving me 1.5 acres in Bura," he says.

Mr Karuri notes that the cost of production in Bura is much lower, making it easier for farmers to expand their production.

He says that he came along with his cousin, who has made his second harvest and is doing well in agribusiness, unlike before.

Deliver for shelling

"The availability of the National Cereals and Produce Board here is a win for Bura farmers. All you need is to harvest, deliver for shelling, and get paid in 24 hours. That is the economy all farmers are chasing," he says.

The migration of farmers from Mwea to Bura is no doubt influencing farming at the Bura Irrigation Scheme.

The farmers, skilled in rice production, are inspiring a shift from troubled maize production to rice.

More than 100 former maize farmers have moved to growing rice, bolstering the acreage of rice production from 1,500 acres to 2,500.

"We are witnessing a huge shift from maize farming. We will have 2,500 acres under rice by the end of October," says Peter Orwa, Bura Irrigation Scheme manager.

Mr Orwa notes that paddy rice production could be taking back its space at the scheme, saying the county government needs to invest more in loans for local farmers and inspire the growth of saccos and cooperatives.

This, he notes, will earn back the county more than Sh20 million in revenue and ignite the growth of Bura town and government interest in the Bura-Garissa highway.

"Business is coming to Bura. This town solely depends on farming and things are looking optimistic. Let's have all hands on deck," he says.

Rice, maize, and cotton farming earns farmers at the Bura Irrigation Scheme about Sh150 million, a National Irrigation Authority report says.