Kisumu County Government in Kenya has entered into a Sh30billion partnership with a British based Investment Company – United Green for agriculture and food security investment program agreement, aimed at revolutionising food production in the county.
The County’s Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o who was among the signatories said the deal will see a shape up in rice and cotton production as well as dairy and fish sub-sectors. The sustainable agri-food project will thus deliver Agri-fin-tech services, offer high productivity climate-smart farming and modern agro-industrial facilities for rural communities around Lake Victoria.
“This project has come at the most opportune time because Kenya needs a champion organisation to provide leadership and prudent investment, so as to develop inclusive, scalable, market-based, environmentally sustainable and high productivity agri-food systems,” stated Prof. Nyong’o.
Safe agricultural commodities
Albrecht Frischenschlager, United Green Chief Investment Officer, speaking at the signing ceremony, stated that the investment aims to enhance economic returns and positive environmental outcomes among rural farmers. According to the Officer, the investment will greatly boost constant supply of high-quality, nutritious and safe agricultural commodities as well as branded products.
“This is a transformative investment in Kenya’s agriculture sector that could be extended to other regions. We are proud and confident of the expected positive outcomes like job creation, improved crop production for the out-grower communities and enhanced livelihoods,” said Albrecht.
The stakeholders have initiated a rigorous development approach that seeks to contribute significantly to the country’s food security and reduce the overreliance on importing food commodities by approximately Sh.24 Billion annually, thus reducing Kenya’s trade deficit.
The program to be implemented by a local firm, Kisumu County 42 Lake Ventures Company over the next five years, will focus on the production of high-value crops with a focus on servicing local consumers and industry demand with consumer value addition done in local industries.
These include the production of over 100,000 tonnes annually of rice products and over 100,000 bales of cotton products to support the Kenyan textile industry. Others are edible oil such as sunflower, soybeans, cottonseed and maize by-products to support the livestock sector..
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