However, the project has lagged as the 10,000 acres model was supposed to have been completed leading to opening up of the land for largescale production in 2018.

“We want to revitalise Galana and open it up to investors because it is a viable project that can play a significant role in promoting food security in the country,” said Water Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu.

The motivation in this project is anchored in the fact that one acre has produced 40 bags of maize in some of the varieties on trials, which is higher than the national average of 17 bags that farmers in the country’s grain basket of Rift Valley harvest from the same size of land.

The target from an acre, according to Israeli firm, Green Arava, which had been contracted to develop the 10,000-acre model farm, was 80 bags of maize from an acre.

The model farm has shown that the cost of production under irrigation is cheaper by 40 per cent compared to the conventional way of planting maize, a good indicator that once largescale production starts, it will push down the cost of food.