By John Okello Lapok
The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) team of Engineers led by Eng. Boniface Okanya is holding a joint inspection of Works and 2nd site meeting for the construction of Atari Irrigation Scheme in Bulambuli and Kween Districts at the Project base campsite.
In attendance are participants from JICA, technical and political leaders from the two beneficiary Districts and representatives of the farming community.
The Project is being implemented by MAAIF under the Department of Agricultural Infrastructure, Mechanization and Water for Agricultural Production (DAIMWAP) and Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) through Grant-Aid funding. The project works currently stands at 26.5% physical progress and 30% time.
On March 27th, 2025, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze alongside Japanese Ambassador to Uganda, Sasayama Takuya, senior Government officials, District leaders and community representatives officiated the ground breaking ceremony at Atari project site and this marked the commencement date of the project.
Zenitaka Corporation Company was contracted to undertake construction works while Sanyu Consultants Inc. all from Japan was contracted to undertake Detailed Designs, Tendering and Construction Supervision for the project.
The project development objective is to increase production and productivity of irrigated rice and horticultural crops in the Atari basin area through development of irrigation facilities like Headworks, canals, farm access roads, and flood protection dykes.
Atari irrigation scheme will cover a command area of 680ha while benefitting 1300 households and a general population of 6500 people.
The scheme is part of the Coalition for Africa Rice Development (CARD) initiative launched under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which aims to double rice production in Sub-Saharan Africa to 56 million metric tonnes by 2030.
