Spatial assessment of solar PV-based irrigation potential in Kenya
Only about 17% of Kenya’s arable land is suitable for rainfed farming (approx. 5.5 million hectares). The
agricultural sector is mainly rainfed with only about 3% of the arable land under irrigation. The agricultural activities are
concentrated in regions that receive high rainfall, mainly
around Mt. Kenya, Central Rift Valley, and Western Kenya.
Like other countries in SSA, food production in Kenya is
dominated by small holder farmers (approximately 3.5 million
in number) with less than 3 hectares of land holding, who
account for 78% of the country’s food production
For instance, smallholder farmers produce 70% of maize, the
country’s principal staple. The critical role of small holder
farmers in feeding the country’s growing population
underscores that intensification of food production through
irrigation is necessary. Through its National Water Master
Plan, the Kenyan government aims at increasing irrigated land
by 970,000 hectares (ha) by 2030 . Note that as of 2019,
only 222,240 ha of arable land in Kenya was under irrigation
. According to the estimates , the potential for small
scale irrigation farming in Kenya lies between 54,000 ha and
241,000 ha and with small scale drip irrigation it rises to
419,000 ha. The estimates in [8] underscore the critical
role of small-scale drip irrigation farming, a compatible
production scale with solar PV pumping kits on the market in
Kenya today. Solar PV irrigation is critical in unlocking
small scale irrigation potential considering that a sizeable rural
population still live without access to electricit
Article sourced from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364141929_Spatial_assessment_of_solar_PV-based_irrigation_potential_in_Kenya
