August 23, 2007

Kenya corn farmers lease Ugandan land to flee floods

Kenyan corn farmers living near the Kenyan-Ugandan border are leasing land in Uganda to escape flooding in western Kenya, an official said Wednesday (August 22).

Over 200 corn farmers have crossed into Uganda where they have now leased land for corn production, said Chrisantus Ipaala, a Malaba town council chairman in western province.

In western Kenya, at least five people have been killed and hundreds of families have been displaced following heavy rains over the past two weeks.

"Many more farmers are still crossing into Uganda where they can be able to grow corn (corn)," said Ipaala. "Soon we will be experiencing food scarcity here," he added.

The western region produces about 70 percent of Kenya's corn.

The Nzoia and Sabwani rivers in western Kenya burst their banks following heavy rains in the western highlands, the Kenya Red Cross Society said.

In January, floods in the region displaced several thousand people and destroyed food crops, especially corn, which is the staple food for Kenya's population.

The government last week revised up the country's 2007 corn production forecast to 31 million 90-kilogramme bags this from 27 million bags last year.