11/24/2006
GRANTS
WECHE MOKADHO
;
DOMINION FARM IN
YALA SWAMP TO REDUCE KENYA’S NATIONAL RICE
IMPORT BUS BY
90,000 TONS ANNUALLY
Leo Odera Omolo
Kisumu
23Nov.2006
Kenyan Parliament this week heaped a lot of praise to a private developer who has sunked close to Kshs 2 billion in investment to reclaim River Yala swamp and the surrounding wetland for rice,cotton,maize and food grains production.
The House meeting in Nairobi gave the Dominion Farms Limited a multinational international firm owned by an American entrepreneur Mr.Calvin Burgess of Edmund Oklahama,USA the nod to expand its operations to other areas covering Bondo ,Siaya and Busia district in Western Kenya.
Members of both sides of the House praised the Dominion Farm Limited for
creating over 1,000 jobs, introducing commercial farming, reclaiming and
developing over 3000 wetland hectares out of 17,000 hectares of the Yala River Swamp located next Lake Victoria in three years.
The MPs described the multimillion shillings project as a success story that
should be replicated across the county as an example of partnership between the government and private sector.
Before the major land reclamation programme began in earnest three years ago the 17,000 hectares swamp and wetland was the home of hippopotamus, crocodiles, pythons, poisonous snakes, water bucks and wild pigs and all sorts of vermins.
The debate on Yala River swamp project was sparked off by a motion introduced by the nominated MP Peter Castro Oloo Aringo who was contributing to a private members motion which he had moved in the House. He praised the foreign investor for reversing the nightmare what was the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) and giving a ray of hope that commercial farming would be introduced in Kenya’s rural areas to fight poverty, diseases and ignorance.
Responding the Minister for Regional Development Mohamud Mohammed said the project was a “big success”. The Minister said “the government of Kenya entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dominion group of companies through the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) which surrendered its land and some of its equipment while the latter gave funds and skilled workers. The cabinet approved the MOU in 2004 which gave the investor 3000 hectares of the original 6000 hectares they had requested. Since then the farm has been producing large quantity of maize, cotton, sunflower ,groundnuts on the already reclaimed area. It has also started a bee keeping and fish farming project which is meant to boost the economy and food production.
Two assistant Ministers Danson Mungatana and Dr Wilfred Mochage supported the motion and expressed satisfaction with the investor for creating employment, reducing poverty and promoting food security in the region.
The motion was seconded by among others Sammy Weya (Alego Usonga Narc) Prof P.Ayiecho Olweny(Muhoroni-Narc) Peter Odoyo (Nyakatch- Narc) Rev Ken Nyagudi (Kisumu Town West -Narc) and David Nakitare (Sabatia Narc)
The government was also requested to recommend how the project could be
expanded to cover the entire 17,000 hectares swamp along the Lake Kanyaboli which covered the three administrative districts of Bondo,Siaya and Busia in Nyanza and Western Provinces.
In a brief chat with this writer, the country director of Dominion Farms Limited
Mr.Grahame F.H.Vetch disclosed that his company has already planted 260 acres of rice which is due for harvesting within weeks. This is part of the long term envisaged plan to eventually produce 90,000 tons of rice annually when the land earmarked for this particular crop is put to full production in a ten year time.
The company has already established the rice mill on the farm with all its
equipment installed. When in full production the rice mill project will
considerably reduce the deficit currently being experienced in Kenya resulting
in the importation of the same commodity from foreign sources.
The Dominion project in along run will produce rice under irrigation .The Yala
River he said will provide the irrigation water for the project.
This will entail a certain amount of redirection and desilting of the river.
The paddy fields will be constructed for an average size of approximately 36
hectares each. These fields will be constructed in a dead-level style for
irrigation .And the area earmarked to be under paddy when in full operation is
estimated at 14,000 acres or 5600 hectares. The production according, to Mr.
Vetch, will be staggered to ensure milling goes on throughout the year.
The paddy will be dried at the farm in drying silos. Large scale production
with benefit of economies of scale will ensure reasonably priced rice in the
market. The establishment of the rice mill on the form has already created new
45 jobs for the locals.
Dominion Farm Limited is registered by Kenya Plant Health Service (KEPHIS) as a seed merchant .The registration is for rice production and processing.
To build up the gene bank ,several germplasm were taken from KARI and LBDA and other rice growing zones of Kenya .Same varieties are sourced form IRRI in the Philipines and Brazil .These varieties came through KEPHIS where they were inspected before being released to Dominion Farms quarantine station for further testing and are being strictly for breeding purposes.
The Dominion farm has also introduced aquaculture in its list of activities.
This will entail fish farming within the farm.
In its long term plan the farm will produce about 10 million kilogram of fish
per annum.Main inputs to aquaculture includes feeds (32 per cent crude protein) and electricity for intensive farming.
The farm has already established fish processing mill and cold storage on the
farm. It would export 80 per cent of the processed fish to foreign market to
fetch the country much needed foreign exchange. The remaining 20 percent of fish produced will be sold to the local market.
Taking a serious note on the rapid decline of fish species and population in
Lake Victoria due to over fishing and the use of wrong fishing gears.Dominion
Farm intend to release some of the fish fingerlings and breeds produced at the
Yala Swamp to the Lake to re-stock Lake Victoria.
It has acquired the popular fish species such as Tilapia and Nilotica breeding
stock from Lake Kioge and Lake Albert in Uganda,Lake Turkana and Lake Victoria in Kenya
END
More news fro DFL on the pipeline
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
The writer is LUOCOME REPORTER based in Kisumu. We urge all LUOCOME members with pressing issues pertaining to media and press releases to kindly contact him from any where in world. He will assist you to get true picture of your Village Developement.
LUOCOME-MEDIA
=====================================================Leo Odera Omolo
Kisumu
23Nov.2006
Kenyan Parliament this week heaped a lot of praise to a private developer who has sunked close to Kshs 2 billion in investment to reclaim River Yala swamp and the surrounding wetland for rice,cotton,maize and food grains production.
The House meeting in Nairobi gave the Dominion Farms Limited a multinational international firm owned by an American entrepreneur Mr.Calvin Burgess of Edmund Oklahama,USA the nod to expand its operations to other areas covering Bondo ,Siaya and Busia district in Western Kenya.
Members of both sides of the House praised the Dominion Farm Limited for
creating over 1,000 jobs, introducing commercial farming, reclaiming and
developing over 3000 wetland hectares out of 17,000 hectares of the Yala River Swamp located next Lake Victoria in three years.
The MPs described the multimillion shillings project as a success story that
should be replicated across the county as an example of partnership between the government and private sector.
Before the major land reclamation programme began in earnest three years ago the 17,000 hectares swamp and wetland was the home of hippopotamus, crocodiles, pythons, poisonous snakes, water bucks and wild pigs and all sorts of vermins.
The debate on Yala River swamp project was sparked off by a motion introduced by the nominated MP Peter Castro Oloo Aringo who was contributing to a private members motion which he had moved in the House. He praised the foreign investor for reversing the nightmare what was the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) and giving a ray of hope that commercial farming would be introduced in Kenya’s rural areas to fight poverty, diseases and ignorance.
Responding the Minister for Regional Development Mohamud Mohammed said the project was a “big success”. The Minister said “the government of Kenya entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dominion group of companies through the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) which surrendered its land and some of its equipment while the latter gave funds and skilled workers. The cabinet approved the MOU in 2004 which gave the investor 3000 hectares of the original 6000 hectares they had requested. Since then the farm has been producing large quantity of maize, cotton, sunflower ,groundnuts on the already reclaimed area. It has also started a bee keeping and fish farming project which is meant to boost the economy and food production.
Two assistant Ministers Danson Mungatana and Dr Wilfred Mochage supported the motion and expressed satisfaction with the investor for creating employment, reducing poverty and promoting food security in the region.
The motion was seconded by among others Sammy Weya (Alego Usonga Narc) Prof P.Ayiecho Olweny(Muhoroni-Narc) Peter Odoyo (Nyakatch- Narc) Rev Ken Nyagudi (Kisumu Town West -Narc) and David Nakitare (Sabatia Narc)
The government was also requested to recommend how the project could be
expanded to cover the entire 17,000 hectares swamp along the Lake Kanyaboli which covered the three administrative districts of Bondo,Siaya and Busia in Nyanza and Western Provinces.
In a brief chat with this writer, the country director of Dominion Farms Limited
Mr.Grahame F.H.Vetch disclosed that his company has already planted 260 acres of rice which is due for harvesting within weeks. This is part of the long term envisaged plan to eventually produce 90,000 tons of rice annually when the land earmarked for this particular crop is put to full production in a ten year time.
The company has already established the rice mill on the farm with all its
equipment installed. When in full production the rice mill project will
considerably reduce the deficit currently being experienced in Kenya resulting
in the importation of the same commodity from foreign sources.
The Dominion project in along run will produce rice under irrigation .The Yala
River he said will provide the irrigation water for the project.
This will entail a certain amount of redirection and desilting of the river.
The paddy fields will be constructed for an average size of approximately 36
hectares each. These fields will be constructed in a dead-level style for
irrigation .And the area earmarked to be under paddy when in full operation is
estimated at 14,000 acres or 5600 hectares. The production according, to Mr.
Vetch, will be staggered to ensure milling goes on throughout the year.
The paddy will be dried at the farm in drying silos. Large scale production
with benefit of economies of scale will ensure reasonably priced rice in the
market. The establishment of the rice mill on the form has already created new
45 jobs for the locals.
Dominion Farm Limited is registered by Kenya Plant Health Service (KEPHIS) as a seed merchant .The registration is for rice production and processing.
To build up the gene bank ,several germplasm were taken from KARI and LBDA and other rice growing zones of Kenya .Same varieties are sourced form IRRI in the Philipines and Brazil .These varieties came through KEPHIS where they were inspected before being released to Dominion Farms quarantine station for further testing and are being strictly for breeding purposes.
The Dominion farm has also introduced aquaculture in its list of activities.
This will entail fish farming within the farm.
In its long term plan the farm will produce about 10 million kilogram of fish
per annum.Main inputs to aquaculture includes feeds (32 per cent crude protein) and electricity for intensive farming.
The farm has already established fish processing mill and cold storage on the
farm. It would export 80 per cent of the processed fish to foreign market to
fetch the country much needed foreign exchange. The remaining 20 percent of fish produced will be sold to the local market.
Taking a serious note on the rapid decline of fish species and population in
Lake Victoria due to over fishing and the use of wrong fishing gears.Dominion
Farm intend to release some of the fish fingerlings and breeds produced at the
Yala Swamp to the Lake to re-stock Lake Victoria.
It has acquired the popular fish species such as Tilapia and Nilotica breeding
stock from Lake Kioge and Lake Albert in Uganda,Lake Turkana and Lake Victoria in Kenya
END
More news fro DFL on the pipeline
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
The writer is LUOCOME REPORTER based in Kisumu. We urge all LUOCOME members with pressing issues pertaining to media and press releases to kindly contact him from any where in world. He will assist you to get true picture of your Village Developement.
LUOCOME-MEDIA
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