Nairobi, June 26 - Kenya plans to increase the amount of land under irrigation to 1 million acres (404,700 hectares) in five years, to attain food security despite increasing drought, the top agriculture ministry official said.
East Africa's biggest economy experienced long droughts in many parts of the country last year, leaving 10 million people in need of food aid and causing the sector, which contributes 25 percent to gross domestic product, to contract sharply.
Very little land is currently irrigated, especially for grain production.
"If every year we put between 200,000 and 250,000 acres, then in five years' time we would have a million, which we are targeting," Agriculture Ministry permanent secretary Romano Kiome told Reuters in an interview on Friday.
He said the initial phase of the programme, which was allocated 3 billion shillings ($39.11 million) in the national budget, will aim to revive moribund irrigation schemes.
Several projects in different parts of the country including the coast ran aground during the reign of former President Daniel arap Moi due to mismanagement.
Kiome said the ministry had cut projected 2009 output for the staple of maize due to poor rainfall beginning in March.
"We had initially projected about 26 million bags... we have scaled it down to 24 million because of where we are on the weather," he said, adding the country requires 32 million bags.
"Unless the weather improves, we are at risk."
The government opened up maize imports earlier this year, and Kiome said retail prices of maize and flour were stabilising.
He also said the production outlook for vegetables was much better because they grow faster and rains that had already fallen might support it.