This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
On December 10, 2019, Nakuru marked a significant milestone in its journey to regain its status as an industrial hub with the commissioning of a Sh1.2 billion animal feeds factory.
The factory, a partnership between Bidco Africa and Land O'Lakes, a US farmers' cooperative and manufacturer of animal nutrition products, was officially opened by Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.
Land O'Lakes Executive Vice President Dave Hoogmoed attributed the choice of Kenya to the growth of its agricultural sector, stating, "After our research, we found that Kenya is among the leading countries in agriculture through the commercialisation of the sector. Here we have seen great opportunities, especially in the dairy sector whose returns are growing by the day."
The new entity, Bidco Land O'Lakes, aims to contribute to the State's Big Four agenda under the manufacturing pillar, creating thousands of jobs directly and indirectly.
Bidco Africa Group Chairman Vimal Shah revealed that the factory, which can produce 160,000 tonnes of animal feeds annually, will engage over 60,000 farmers in the next one year, with the goal of doubling the number in the next 12 months.
CS Munya urged farmers to invest in value addition, saying it would ensure better pay for their produce, and promised to create more trade links with other countries to make it easy for local producers to exploit external markets.
